Smoke & Mirrors 'The Sequel to Blood & Nails'
by Calmardaa
Summary: 2nd in the Pain & Dreams trilogy. Rated R for death scenes and bad language (for now) So they made it through the dark ... then why are they alone?
1. Prologue : Little Blonde Boy

Disclaimer: Look! Look! *points gleefully* It's the official document saying that I own them all! Look, it's right there! That pig with wings has it in his mouth!  
  
Warnings: Er, a little death and a really lame name for the murder weapon! :) And no, I haven't forgotten about AOD or GD ... please be patient, I promise they are coming.  
  
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Smoke & Mirrors.  
  
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Prologue. Little Blonde Boy.  
  
The uninvited guest didn't bother with hiding in the shadows or tip-toeing across the floor. It had no real need for any concealment and was quite happy to just stand there, right out in the open, and wait for the right time. Or the courage to do what it had come for. That was suddenly hard to find now that he was actually here.  
  
The other occupant in the room did not notice the unbidden visitor at all. He was sitting in an armchair, just a few feet away, immersed in a book. But it was not the distraction of the reading that caused the ignorance of how he wasn't alone. Nor was the intruder invisible by any means.  
  
The young man chose not to see, and the unbidden visitor chose not to be seen.  
  
So one sat, reading, as the other stood, watching. Neither making much noise and little movement. The fire in the hearth burned on, casting flickering shadows on the far wall. Shadows of one in the chair, bent over a book and one standing just to the side.  
  
After some hours of this quiet confrontation, the unbidden visitor realised that it was time for what it had come for. A rustle of cloth as it shifted its arms and brought out a small wooden box from a pocket of his outer robe. The faintest click as the latch was brought up and a slight squeak, as if in protest, from one of the hinges as the lid was raised.  
  
Even these noises, all very obvious in the silence of the room, did not rouse the suspicions of the other person. He sat in the chair, oblivious to all, running his fingers down the side of the page, keeping his place.  
  
From inside the box, floating out on to the lip and then down the side, came a puff of blue smoke. It lazily drifted to the floor as if it possessed a large weight that gravity could pull down. It touched the carpet and changed direction, billowing slowly across the floor in the direction of the chair, heading for its target.  
  
It danced around the target's feet, as if toying with its fated victim and then slid around the shins, like how a boa constrictor would curl around its prey. The smoke rose to waft around the lower half of the armchair. It was almost like a mist as it drifted along, leaving behind a faint, slightly sticky trail that showed where it had touched something.  
  
Still the occupant of the quiet house noticed nothing suspicious or out of place. The smoke brushed along the fingers of his left hand, then slid right across the page he was reading. He merely turned the page slowly and continued on with his task.  
  
Blue mixed with white as the ribbon of smoke reached the man's hair. It seem to have itself a great time, twining in and out of the strands, barely even making them shift. It slid down the back of his head and then around, searching blindly for an entrance. It found one all to easily.  
  
The man's lips were slightly open as he was breathing from his mouth instead of his nose. The smoke slipped between and was mostly inhaled with the man's next breath. It helped itself down the rest of the way, into the lungs. Stretching itself out, it coated the insides, everywhere it could reach and sent the small excess into the bloodstream. This was the second step to its job.  
  
Through the veins and arteries, everywhere that it could stretch, it gracefully twisted and turned, following every path. It took its time, still the same lazy pace it had used while outside of the body, when it had been searching for its target. It seeped into muscles and into bone. It took up residence in the heart. It swirled around the man's brain and then in, through every fibre. For one brief moment it was the man, every molecule of the body, even to the point that it could spill into the hair and skin on the very outside.  
  
Then the moment passed. Its mission was completed.  
  
The majority of the smoke started to retreat. It wanted to return home now.  
  
----  
  
The man's eyes had nearly been fully closed as sleep was starting to pull at him, but they had opened quickly when the smoke entered his lungs. Finally he realised that something was wrong. He clutched at his throat when he went on to further realise that he couldn't breathe. His eyes widened just a little more and his heart sped up as fear began in earnest.  
  
He scrambled to his feet, trying to call out, but no air was entering or exiting his lungs at all. In a panic, and driven by instinct, he made his way to the small table to his right, knocking over a few of the plates that were sitting on it as he desperately searched for what he needed. His lungs started to feel as if they were on fire.  
  
He finally found his wand and brought it up, only to realise that he couldn't speak to perform anything. His eyes narrowed in determination as he frantically searched his memory for spells he could do without words. A small shower of green stars lit up the room briefly, but he doubted it was enough to get anyone's attention, from either inside or outside of the house.  
  
He fell to his knees, trying to gasp, as overwhelming pain seemed to spread from his burning lungs. He could feel it all over, running down his legs, across his back. He unthinkingly held out a hand to balance himself and wrapped his fingers around the bottom of the overhanging tablecloth. But all that happened was that he pulled more things to the floor. He closed his eyes and wished he could howl, if not to call for help then to at least show his pain.  
  
The muscles around his lungs were heaving, desperately trying to move air either in or out, but it didn't work. As the almost relieving thought that he was going to die and leave the pain behind, flitted across his mind, the pain escalated into his head as well. Grey eyes snapped back open as he finally thought of one spell that he could do without speaking, and he knew it would draw somebody's attention.  
  
More green stars shot out of his wand, but much faster. They streaked through the ceiling, and then another, and then another, searching for clear sky. The spell had been designed like that for better clarity and even though he couldn't speak, it followed its programming and formed perfectly once it had reached outside.  
  
For one last time, the Dark Mark lit up the night sky over a peaceful little town that had not seen it for well over five years. And it hung there quite happily, its green stars twinkling away brightly, its green smoke billowing out around it as if it was burning  
  
But back inside the house, eyes that had been filled with pain had finally spotted who had done this to him. The only things the grey eyes held now were mild surprise and even some understanding. The man had recognised his intruder, and could almost see why this had occurred. That didn't make him happy about it though and he pointed his wand at his attacker, thinking quickly for any offensive spell he could cast while silent.  
  
The hooded figure stepped closer and patted the kneeling man on the head, gently plucking the wand from his weakening fingers. "My little blonde boy." It whispered. "The pain will pass." A smile that couldn't be seen from behind the hood. "You know why it had to come to this."  
  
With his head still turned up and his still eyes open, the dying man fell to his side and lay there, unmoving, on the carpet, his mind completely gone. Whether he knew why this had to happen before was unknown, but it didn't matter now. And it didn't change the fact that the smoke was still finishing him off. His body seemed to shrink in places, his skin went a slightly grey colour and became taut, the eyes burst inwards, as if collapsing in on themselves. Bones cracked in some places and the skin eventually went slightly slack and quite wrinkled in some places.  
  
From between the parted lips of the shrivelled corpse, the blue smoke slid back out of the man and then glided its way across the floor. It appeared to be a larger cloud than what it had been before, but the change wasn't overly noticeable.  
  
It slid up the body of the murderer and obediently wafted back into its box. The intruder gently closed the lid and snapped the latch back into place. It had mixed feelings about what it had just done. It knew that some people just deserved what happened to them but it wasn't too sure why it was the one that had to do it. It was not proud with what had happened, but again brought forward the reasons of why it had to be. It couldn't leave just yet, it wanted to say goodbye. And there was still one last matter that had to be taken care of.  
  
It knelt down next to the deceased and slowly brought out a knife from one of its many other pockets. It made the cut carefully, not wanting to harm the body anymore than necessary, because that could cause it to crumble at the moment. No blood came forth from the cut, for there was nothing left but an empty shell. Even the murderer was quite disturbed by this.  
  
Finished with its work and satisfied that everything was how it should be, the hooded figure stood back up and slowly walked out of the room. It had many things to think about tonight, even if it didn't really want to dwell on such things. It had found that it didn't like the stain that murder seemed to have left on its heart and soul, but it had been chosen to do a mission, and do it, it would.  
  
Besides, he could hardly back out now.  
  
A few short minutes later, completely unbeknownst to the killer or anyone else in the house, another column of blue smoke rose from the dead man's lips. It slid across the floor and up. And then all around the room. And out the door. And up the hallway. But try as it might, it could not find its home. If smoke could be distressed, this cloud certainly would be.  
  
It slid out the nearest window and all the way down to the ground. From there it floated into a forest, all the while searching for where it belonged, yet moving further and further away from where that actually was. And so the killer had not just taken a life that night, it had placed a plague on the world as well.  
  
One was already dead that night ... and the Breath of Thanatos was no longer contained.  
  
To Be Continued. 


	2. Part One : Home, Sweet Tomb

Disclaimer: Look! Look! *points gleefully* It's the official document saying that I own them all! Look, it's right there! That pig with wings has it in his mouth!  
  
Warnings: Nothing bad, just my annoying habit of not explaining anything. :)  
  
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Smoke & Mirrors.  
  
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Part One. Home, Sweet Tomb.  
  
The smoke slid out from between Draco's parted lips, swirled around his head and drifted up, seeming to dance and spin in the light from the torch on the wall. Caught in a small breeze from the open patio doors, it lazily blew back and forth across the ceiling, before thinning and dissipating. He lifted the cigarette to his lips again.  
  
All was quiet in the house, the only sounds the young man could hear was the low crackle of the torch and the breeze that was starting to pick up outside. There weren't even any insects rustling outside. Draco sat quietly in his chair, bathed in soft moonlight and staring out the window, in his bedroom, on the fourth floor of his spacious country house, at least five kilometres away from the nearest person. In his left hand he held his cigarette, in his right he held his glass.  
  
Which he found to be empty when he next raised it to his lips. The chair creaked as he stood but his mind didn't really register the noise. He walked to his cabinet and placed the Old Fashioned on the top. The ice went in with much clinking, one piece sliding over the top of the cabinet after it bounced off the lip of the glass. He free poured the cognac, then the same with the Bénédictine. He spun the glass around carefully by swivelling his wrist, swishing the contents as a form of mixing while he walked back to his chair.  
  
His cigarette had burnt out in the ashtray by this point, so Draco simply lit another one. He wasn't sure of the exact amount of time that he had been sitting in his room, slowly making his way through two bottles of alcohol and a good portion of a carton of cigarettes. He conceded it had to have been at least five hours, the fact that the sun was starting to rise was a good clue to that. He had returned home from his parents place a little after midnight and had headed straight into his room and begun this ritual of staring out the window and sipping his drink until he had to pour himself another.  
  
By his count, he'd only had enough when he couldn't make the walk and so far, he still could.  
  
He'd already had a few drinks at his party, his parents throwing it for him this year. It hadn't been too bad, better than what he'd thought it would be when he first heard about it. It had meant to be a surprise but Draco knew Morgan didn't stand a chance of withholding information from him. Not when he smiled so nicely at the poor boy. Morgan always caved when he did that.  
  
Draco turned his head slightly as the ball of hair sleeping on his bed snorted a little and shifted, obviously trying to get comfortable. He smiled slightly and then returned to staring at the stars. The night had been okay, but he had noticed it wasn't the best. Everyone had carefully avoided the subject for the most part though.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"This is not a good idea, Morgan. I'm really not in the mood for a party."  
  
"If you bail, they'll know I said something. And please, please, please, act surprised. Your mother will kill me if she even suspects that you know."  
  
"Well, that will certainly liven the party up."  
  
"Shut up, Saria."  
  
"No."  
  
"Yes."  
  
Draco sighed. "Guys."  
  
"See, Morgan, you're getting on his nerves."  
  
"I am not. He'd much rather have just me around than you."  
  
"Oh yeah? Then why did he choose me as his new trainee?"  
  
"Wasn't much choice now was there. All of the good trainees were already assigned."  
  
"Hey at least I didn't get a pity vote like what he did for you."  
  
"That's NOT what happened, what would you know anyway?"  
  
"I know plenty!"  
  
Draco smacked his fist on the door. "Both of you shut up, or I'll poison your drinks."  
  
The three were standing on the doorstep of Lucius and Narcissa's large manor, waiting for the door to be answered. As normal, Draco stood between his bickering companions, Morgan on his right, Saria on his left. The two had only known each other since Saria had joined them, about five months ago, and things had not really improved yet. Saria always wanted to know why Morgan insisted on acting like he was one of her trainers as well, Morgan was always asking Draco what possessed him to choose such an annoying drama queen for a recruit.  
  
Draco knew that most of it was just left for show by now, he could tell they were okay with each other, in a strange way. But he was getting rather sick of all this nonsense. He gave each of them a look and then put on an innocent smile as the door started to open.  
  
"Draco, darling. So glad you could all come for dinner. We're having all your favourites." Narcissa waved them in.  
  
"Thanks for all this, mum. I hadn't really had much time to organise anything for myself. This should be a nice break from sorting through my things." Draco chose to ignore how the three gave each other a look at the indirect mention of it.  
  
"Well, just come through to the dining room, and we'll get started shall we?" Narcissa patted her hair and smiled, turning to leave and just expecting to be followed. She led them up the main staircase and to the left, heading for the dining room that was used during the summer. The three guests filed in obediently as she held the door open. It was pitch black.  
  
Draco prepared himself for his performance and then broke the silence. "Isn't it rather dark, mother? Surely the food doesn't look bad enough to warrant this?"  
  
"Lumos." The unmistakable sound of Lucius' voice.  
  
The room lit up in a blaze, all thirty two torches flashing to life at the same moment. Draco blinked and then let his mouth open without making any noise. There had to be at least sixty people in the room, standing under a large banner that reached from each side of the room. Decorations were bordering on intrusive, with streamers from the ceiling and various balloons and paper figurines. Still with his mouth slightly open he turned his head to look at Morgan, the perfect look of confusion starting to cross his face.  
  
"Surprise." Morgan said brightly.  
  
Draco nodded, making an affirmative hum. He looked at his mother and then gave her an almost reprimanding look. "Honestly, mum, I'm hardly in a respectable enough appearance to greet all these people."  
  
She beamed, clearly convinced that he was genuinely surprised. "Oh rubbish darling, you look fine. And besides, it's your birthday we're all celebrating, you can look however you wish."  
  
He stepped forward and begun they hand shaking and hellos. His parents had obviously wanted him to have a good time. There were old friends and school mates, co-workers, even some long since seen relatives. He greeted Crabbe and Goyle, warmly. He allowed Naida to give him a hug and to fix his hair. Everyone was wishing him well.  
  
It was starting to get a little overwhelming.  
  
Morgan spotted this and intervened about halfway through his greetings, saying that the birthday boy needed a drink and that they should get straight to the food. "We did come here, expecting dinner. I'm starved."  
  
Draco let himself be hurried through the rest as they made their way to the table. "That wasn't necessary." He hissed once they made it. "I was doing well."  
  
"Yes, but it's so boring to watch you welcome forty thousand people and besides, we can't eat until you do." Morgan stuck his tongue out as Draco snickered.  
  
"Looking like a splendid bash so far, boy."  
  
"Naida, I've asked you not to call me boy. Just because you're ancient."  
  
"Well, honestly. The cheek of young people these days, wandering around and commenting on the age of a lady."  
  
Draco gave one of his most charming smiles. "I can assure you, I have never commented on the age of a *lady*."  
  
Naida would have said something in reply except that Saria finally arrived next to Draco, having been pulled away and scolded by Lucius for something. "That father of yours can be a right prat." She leant over and snatched up a sandwich. "It's not like I knew spilling that potion would have started a fire."  
  
"What *are* you talking about?" Draco said as he allowed Morgan to start loading his plate up with food.  
  
"Just a little accident yesterday with the 'Happy Birthday' banner." She pointed to one corner and snorted. "You can't even see the burn marks anymore."  
  
Draco looked and was rather sure that he could, but chose not to say so. "I see Hermione didn't make it."  
  
Morgan coughed. "Er no. She said she had a case to work on."  
  
"That's always her excuse."  
  
"Well, she may have said something about not wanting to look like she was playing favourites."  
  
"And yet she still works with him." Saria butted in and then scurried off to get a drink after Morgan gave her a look.  
  
"That girl ... "  
  
"Oh, let it go, Morgan. It doesn't matter." Draco sniffed at a suspicious looking rissole. "Go see if my mum will put some music on. I'm going to mingle."  
  
Morgan went off quickly and Draco headed over to where Crabbe was standing, clearly arguing about something to Goyle. "Hello boys. Long time, no hunt."  
  
"Draco! Yeah, well, when your mum sent us an owl saying that she wanted a few old faces for your party, we couldn't turn her down now could we?"  
  
"Well, I could have, but Goyle was absolutely delighted at the idea of free food."  
  
"Leave it off, you fat bastard. You're only here to get drunk."  
  
"You're both still pathetic." Draco said good-naturedly.  
  
"I'll drink to that."  
  
"I'll eat to that."  
  
All three laughed and they moved to some of the chairs, talking about the old days.  
  
"I still say you shot me with that crossbow on purpose, Malfoy." Crabbe stated loudly as Morgan walked up.  
  
"He shot you?"  
  
"Shh, Morgan, listen to nothing that these lunatics tell you." Draco made a face. "They're drunk."  
  
"I'm not." Goyle defended himself.  
  
"No, but you always get delusions when you're on sugar."  
  
Morgan smiled at the three men and then remembered why he'd come over to interrupt. "Um, there's this weird guy, hiding in the shadows. Your mum said I was to tell you."  
  
Draco looked to where Morgan was pointing, out the door at the other end of the hall. He saw some slight movement which he supposed was his mysterious visitor. He bid his old school friends goodbye and then headed over. A man was leaning on the opposite wall, mostly hidden in the dark of the corridor. "Hello?" Draco saw a flash and quickly caught the object that had been thrown at him. It was a present.  
  
"Couldn't miss your birthday, blondie. That would have been rude." The other whispered and then started to walk away.  
  
Draco grinned into the dark. "Thanks ... prick."  
  
The retreating figure laughed quietly and then turned out of view. Draco walked back to the part of the table holding the presents and placed the new one down.  
  
"Who was that?" Saria asked still looking at the door as if the person was coming back.  
  
"Just someone I knew. Never you mind who."  
  
"I thought you hated your schoolmates?" Saria had an annoying habit of following you around and asking questions some times. Draco was slowly getting used to it. "You seemed to be really hitting it off with them."  
  
"We mostly sorted our problems out during seventh year, we ended up having a lot of fun."  
  
"And how about ... "  
  
"Saria! It's a party, go have fun, get drunk, do something. You're not working now."  
  
A few times during the night Draco had to introduce a couple of the guests to each other but most had sorted it all out before hand so things went smoothly. Then it came to the wind up of the evenings events. The opening of the presents.  
  
Draco wasn't sure that he'd ever seen so many ties, shirts, trousers and cloaks in one place. Almost everyone seemed to had settled on the 'safe' kind of gift. Luckily for the blonde none were overly offensive to his taste and he thanked everyone individually after the opening.  
  
His mother had given him a beautiful lamp. His father had settled with an heirloom sword to go with his collection. Crabbe and Goyle had bought him a crossbow with some beautifully crafted silver bolts. He gave them a look at that and they smirked.  
  
"Open ours next!" Saria said cheerfully. She'd been drinking a fair bit by now and wasn't as surly as she usually became while in a social situation. She and Morgan walked out and then came back quickly, carrying a box with holes.  
  
Draco gave it a suspicious look and shifted in his chair as they placed it in his lap. Narrowing his eyes at Morgan's inane grin, he lifted the lid. "Er, okay." He pulled the present out and let the cardboard box fall to the floor.  
  
"We wanted to call her Chainsaw or something cute like that, but thought you should be the one to give her a name." Morgan smirked and reached over the pat the puppy.  
  
"Guys, it's great, it really is, but you need a license to own a crup." The dog in question was wriggling like mad in Draco's hands.  
  
"Yeah, but we talked to a few friends and managed to convince them that the little escapade two months ago in Hackney clearly shows that you can handle it."  
  
Draco smiled as it tried to bite his fingers. "Well, it is kinda cute."  
  
Saria plonked herself down next to him in the other chair. "So, she needs a name. I'm still pushing for Chainsaw."  
  
"Do you even know what that is?"  
  
"Yeah, Morgan described one to me. Sounds like fun."  
  
Draco's smile widened. "How about Cujo?"  
  
Morgan snickered behind his hand as Saria and quite a few other guests frowned in confusion.  
  
"Why is that amusing?" Narcissa had obviously missed the reference as well.  
  
Draco waved his hand in dismissal of the question. "Never mind. Just some god awful, Muggle movie that Morgan made me watch one time." He placed the puppy on the floor. "Rabies, froth, all that kind of fun stuff."  
  
Saria disdainfully regarded 'Cujo' who was currently licking one of the enchanted paper butterflies that had lost some of its magic and had drifted almost to the floor. "Well, so long as it's not Fluffy or some crap."  
  
"Okay, so you've just got the mystery guest's present." Morgan handed it over.  
  
"You've been waiting for me to open this one haven't you?"  
  
"Well, it's rather rude you won't even tell me who it is. Unless it was ... "  
  
"It wasn't Harry." Draco interrupted harshly as he pulled the wrapping paper off and then opened the box. His smile came back full force as he lifted out what looked like a large black marble.  
  
"What's that." Saria slurred, sipping at her drink.  
  
"It's a Dooresk. It's for recording sounds and such. Like conversations and everything. Good for making sure that nobodies talking about you. I used to live with one of these things."  
  
"Paranoid much?"  
  
Draco sent her a wink. "I was back then."  
  
The ending of the presents was basically everyone's cue to leave. Draco stayed and thanked them all as they left, accepting their well wishes with patience. By the time he was able to leave it was past midnight and therefore is actual birthday.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
And now he was back home, though he didn't really like to call it that. Sitting on his own, miles from anyone else, watching the sun slowly rise as he drank himself into unconsciousness and smoked towards an early grave. He looked around the room, wondering how it came to this. Wondering what the hell had been so wrong that Harry had to call for a divorce. He exhaled, causing another cloud of smoke to form odd shapes in the light. "Happy birthday to me." He muttered softly with a touch of bitterness.  
  
"Draco?"  
  
He flicked his head around to see Morgan standing in the doorway. "Morgan? Hey, what's up?"  
  
The young man shifted on his feet uncomfortably. "You'd better come in to the office."  
  
"It's my birthday, Morgan. No Auror works on their birthday anymore. So unless you're arresting me for something ... " Draco trailed off and smirked.  
  
Morgan took a deep breath. "Draco, I'm telling you. You want to come in. There's something you have to see."  
  
To Be Continued. 


	3. Part Two : Winds Of Change

Disclaimer: Look! Look! *points gleefully* It's the official document saying that I own them all! Look, it's right there! That pig with wings has it in his mouth!  
  
Warnings: Nothing bad, just my annoying habit of not explaining anything. :)  
  
.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
Smoke & Mirrors.  
  
.  
  
Part Two. Winds Of Change.  
  
"You could have left your drink behind."  
  
"And you could have just told me what's going on." Draco sipped his drink as they walked along, towards the elevator. He'd been drinking far too much that morning to try for a safe Apparition so they'd Flooed in instead, not wanting to risk it. "I don't see why I actually have to come into the office for this."  
  
"I think you're the only person I know who could travel by Floo and not spill his drink."  
  
"Don't be stupid, most of Slytherin can do it. We used to practice early on with water. Especially during the holidays."  
  
"Why would any of you bother?" Morgan was nervously flicking through his folder, trying to take his mind off what he was about to do. "What's the point of being able to carry a drink while Flooing? I can't see any situation in which it would come in handy."  
  
"It's just a pride thing. See who can do it the best and all. Besides, it came in handy today. I used to be one of the best. See, the trick was to know the path you were going to take so that you could anticipate the necessary turns." Draco nodded to a few familiar faces, wishing they didn't have to walk so fast but Morgan showed no signs of slowing down. "So what is this vaguely about."  
  
"Your party. Sort of. In a way."  
  
"Well, that's cleared that up then." Draco muttered sarcastically.  
  
They arrived at Auror HQ, a larger room than the one from last year. Ever since Draco's final year at school, more and more people seemed to become interested in being Aurors, meaning they had to move almost every year to accommodate the swelling of numbers. Now that the Ministry seemed to have worked out a decent budget for once, having enough Aurors to cope with the demand was working much better. Most of the higher ranked ones even had a decent pay.  
  
Draco looked around as he followed behind Morgan quietly. He rarely ever saw this room as he worked mainly on remote, but he smiled politely and waved at a few people that he passed. He might not get into the office much, but every one knew who *he* was, for one reason or another.  
  
The two were finally standing next to the desks that were assigned to them and Draco suck into his chair with gratitude. "Why are we in here?" He emptied his glass and pushed in towards the young man. "Get me another will you."  
  
"I think you've had enough."  
  
"But I'm not asleep yet." Draco whined back.  
  
Morgan's mouth twitched from a repressed smile and he stood up. "What were you drinking?"  
  
"A B and B."  
  
"We don't have any brandy, I'll get you some milk."  
  
"Pest." Draco mumbled. He rubbed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. Feeling better he flicked open Morgan's folder and took a quick look but couldn't see anything that would call for him to come into work on his birthday. His new drink of the day was placed in front of him and he absently sipped it. "And we're here because?"  
  
Morgan stopped smiling and pulled a second folder out from under his desk, dragging his chair over to sit next to the blonde. "I got this from a friend, of a friend, of a friend, of a friend. A little over an hour ago, the Dark Mark was seen over a small town in the south. Selsey. I'm sure you know where that is. Naturally Aurors were dispatched to it almost immediately. What they found was ... disturbing."  
  
Draco had certainly perked up the second he had heard 'Dark Mark', Selsey had grabbed his attention even more. "What do you mean by disturbing?"  
  
"It came from your house, Draco." Morgan said gently. "It appears that your father tried one last attempt at alerting people that something was wrong. All the preliminary tests have been done and that's what it looks like."  
  
"What exactly do you mean by 'one last attempt'?" Draco was sobering up fast, the gentle buzz of alcohol dying off and he gave a suspicious look to his 'milk'.  
  
"He's dead, Draco." Morgan shifted uncomfortably. "He's very, very dead."  
  
Draco was quiet for a few seconds as his mind turned this over. "You're either dead or you're alive. You can't be very, very dead."  
  
Morgan gave a slight cough. "This one is. Lucius, I mean. Um. The body ... they're saying that ... it ... it doesn't look human."  
  
"Dead?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Very, very dead?"  
  
"That's what I've heard."  
  
Draco looked at his hands, resting on the tabletop. The situation was starting to sink in, his stomach churned. His eyes started to burn, but he blinked back the tears quickly and blamed it on the alcohol. "How?"  
  
"Nobody seems to know."  
  
"Give me the folder."  
  
Morgan handed it over quietly.  
  
Draco flicked it open and noticed what was wrong straight away. "There's no photos."  
  
"I know. I can't seem to find any. Not anywhere."  
  
"This is just a standard fact sheet. It doesn't tell me anything that you haven't already."  
  
"That's the weird thing. No seems to known anything further than the basics and you know what that means."  
  
"Yeah, it means two things. One, that this is somehow linked to another investigation and they're keeping it quiet."  
  
Morgan frowned. "What's the other one?"  
  
Draco gave a grim smile. "It's one of Harry's."  
  
Morgan shook his head. "No, you can't think that."  
  
"It'll be one of his. So you get to do something for me. You get to find out why my ex is working my father's death."  
  
"I hope you're not thinking what I think you're thinking."  
  
"What?"  
  
Morgan leaned even closer, dropping his voice. "Oh, come on, Draco. You know the rules. You can't be on this one. No one is allowed to work a case involving a family member."  
  
"I want this case Morgan."  
  
"The boss will never go for it."  
  
"No one could do it better than me. I knew him, and I knew all his little tricks." Draco snapped the folder shut. "Get me this assignment."  
  
"No chance. Maybe you could help on an advisory level, but it won't go any further than that."  
  
"This is not negotiable." Draco smiled and stood up. "I'll get it, one way or another."  
  
"You'll get what?" A curious voice from behind them and they turned. "What are you even doing here, Draco? It's your birthday."  
  
"Hello, Hermione." The blonde greeted her in a friendly manner. "Seen any dead Malfoys lately?"  
  
Hermione's eyes widened, making her replacement eye spin slightly. "Who told you about that?" She gave a cross look to Morgan and then looked across the room at somebody.  
  
"When exactly were you going to tell me?"  
  
"We only got it like an hour ago! We were going to pay you a visit this morning."  
  
Draco crossed his arms. "Well, I'm here now, spill."  
  
"You probably already know more than you should, I'm not saying anymore." She walked passed them, heading for her own table and they followed without invitation.  
  
"I want this case." Draco said as he perched himself on her desk."  
  
"Out of the question, you know the rules."  
  
"Why aren't there any photos? Where are all the preliminary results?" He leaned in as she pretended he wasn't there. "What's the Ministry hiding?"  
  
Hermione looked at him briefly before ducking her head. "Look, I don't know the full story either, but I've been given my orders and some of them involve you ... in the 'keeping you out of it' sort of way."  
  
"This is bull shit."  
  
Saria came rushing up to them still fastening her robe. "Oh, Draco, I just heard! What's going on, what's the plan?"  
  
"There is no plan. Not for you." A young man walked up, Harry at his side. "This isn't your case, Frenchie."  
  
Saria scowled. "Just because I'm from Beauxbaton does not make me French, A. I was born London."  
  
"Don't call me that." The man moved to sit in his chair next to Hermione.  
  
"Well, excuse me, *Thias* but who shouldn't call who what?" Saria gave him a pointed look.  
  
Thias, Harry's new trainee, sneered and made himself look busy by opening up some forms and beginning to write.  
  
"Hello." Harry said awkwardly. "How is everyone today?"  
  
"Fuck off, Potter. My Father's dead and your little clique is keeping me in the dark."  
  
"It's not your case, Ko."  
  
Draco smirked. "Not yet, anyway."  
  
Hermione seemed to have finished with what she was working on and stood up. "We all know you won't get this assignment, Draco. It was ours even before Lucius' death. You can't just come and cut in."  
  
Draco turned, motioning for his friends to follow. "Watch me. Oh and Hermione? Your absence was noted last night."  
  
Hermione blushed and flicked some of her fringe out of her eyes. "I told Morgan to pass my apologies on, I was busy."  
  
"Well, if you'll excuse us."  
  
"Hey, wait." Thias stood up meaning to follow after them. "We need your statements about last night, you were some of the last to see him alive."  
  
"Tough." Draco kept walking.  
  
Thias went to go after them but Harry caught his arm. "Let it go for now. We'll ask them later."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Draco collapsed on to his bed, causing Cujo to become airborne for a few seconds before bouncing back down. She wuffed sleepily and nodded back off. "Okay you two, here's what we do. I want you to get in touch with every single one of our contacts and tell them to keep their ears open for whatever is going down about my father. Then I want you to go visit everyone you can remember from the party last night. Someone might have seen something, my mother will get you the guest list, no problems."  
  
"There's one thing." Morgan said gently as he sat down next to him.  
  
"What?"  
  
"That mystery guest of yours."  
  
Draco's eyes flickered towards his friend. "Forget about that, it's not important."  
  
"But he might have seen something."  
  
"Then I'll ask him myself."  
  
"You also don't know where he went after handing over your present."  
  
"Leave it, Morgan." Draco growled out as a warning.  
  
"For all you know, whoever it was crept down to your father's study and waited there to kill him."  
  
"I said leave it!" Draco sat up. "Whoever that was is none of your concern right now. What you have to do is simple. You alert our contacts and then interview the guests. And you get it done before Harry and his posse can, all right? Explain to the guests that they're aren't to say that they've already given statements. We aren't officially on this case so I don't want to get fried for interfering. The boss would have our heads on sticks for it."  
  
Morgan nodded and let it go for now, knowing that he would have to mention it sooner or later for his own interview. Then Draco would probably have to reveal who it was. He patted Draco on the shoulder and stood up. "We'll get who ever is was."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Oh, and Draco?" Morgan pointed to the cupboard. "Saria and I bought some stuff for Cujo. Food and bowls and stuff."  
  
"All right." Draco nodded, mostly lost in thought.  
  
"What are you going to do while we're interviewing?"  
  
Draco looked out the window. "There are a few contacts of my own I have to speak to."  
  
"Okay, be careful." Morgan walked out and shut the door behind himself.  
  
Draco rubbed his temples and stood up, already formulating the plan in his head. He triple checked that he had his wand and then headed for the fireplace. One last pat reassured him that his wand was well in hand as he threw the powder in. He knew if he tried leaving his house without it, he probably wouldn't come back. He rubbed at his throat absently as he stepped into the fire and spoke the name of where he wanted to go.  
  
To Be Continued. 


	4. Part Three : Same Old Things

Disclaimer: Look! Look! *points gleefully* It's the official document saying that I own them all! Look, it's right there! That pig with wings has it in his mouth!  
  
Warnings: Bit of blood and blood drinking, but nothing too bad. :)  
  
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Smoke & Mirrors.  
  
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Part Three. Same Old Things.  
  
  
Draco looked around, his hand already resting on his wand. The Floo had brought him exactly where he asked, though he hardly wanted to be here. Everybody else in the 'establishment' was staring at him, mostly in wonder. He knew they were probably thinking he'd either ended up at the wrong place or he had jelly for brains. Some of the 'patrons' at the closest table stood up, clearly wanting to come over and meet him. But they stopped that idea when a voice spoke quietly to Draco's right.  
  
"You've got balls, I'll give you that." Draco turned his head to look at the speaker, though he couldn't really be seen. "I can't think of a single other person I know who would come here when they know that there's a price on their head."  
  
Draco smiled slightly. "Call me crazy, but I really love the food here. You should try the chicken."  
  
The other gave a snort of laughter and stepped out of the shadowed corner he had been sitting in. "You've got balls, Malfoy, or rocks in your head, either one." He held out his hand, silently asking for Draco's.  
  
Draco allowed his hand to be kissed and followed quietly when a tug indicated they were to go sit at the other side of the room, next to the working fireplace. He accepted the chair politely and sat down. "How have you been?"  
  
Before the other could answer a large man came to stand next to their table. "What's going on here, Labyrinth?"  
  
Draco looked to his companion. "Is there a problem?"  
  
Labyrinth smiled and shook his head. "No, I see none. Problem, Gelric?"  
  
"You invite **him** here, then expect us to say and do nothing about it?"  
  
"I didn't invite him, but I have welcomed him. Go away."  
  
Gelric seemed to have other ideas though and he wrenched Draco up by his robe. A soft snarl, a flash of light coupled with a gentle hum through the air and Gelric took a few steps back growling in pain and clutching his hand. Draco gently smoothed his robe down and used his boot to nudge away the two fingers that were now lying on the floor. Labyrinth returned his sword to where it had been leaning against the table and the two men sat down again.  
  
The blonde took out a cigarette, waiting for his companion to indicate that he didn't mind before lighting it. "So, how have you been?" He blew the smoke out, towards the fire instead of into his friend's face.  
  
Labyrinth gave a casual shrug, leaving its meaning to be determined. "Why are you here?"  
  
"Did you hear about my father?"  
  
"I heard bits and pieces and then a whole lot about a Dark Mark in the sky, above your home town. I assumed the rest from there."  
  
Draco shifted, trying to get comfortable in the cheap chair. He nodded his thanks when a drink was brought over to him, ignoring that fact that it was blood. "I just need to know if it has anything to do with me."  
  
Labyrinth shook his head, sipping his own drink. "No. It wasn't one of us, I can tell you that. There are whispers that the corpse looked ... drained, and yet we stop drinking when the heart stops. Too hard to bring it forth otherwise. Need the pulse to make unlife easier."  
  
"Basically you're all just lazy."  
  
The young man smiled bitterly. "Not all of us."  
  
"Yeah, you came after me quite hard."  
  
"I thought you left me there. I was angry."  
  
Draco shook his head. "We've been over this, I did everything I could." He remembered the blood that had covered his hands as he tried to pull his friend to his feet and stop the bleeding at the same time. _'Hold on, we'll get you fixed up, it's not that bad, it's only a little bite.'_ He smoothed his fringe away from his eyes. "I didn't know she'd fed her blood to you already, or I wouldn't have taken you to St Mungos."  
  
"It doesn't matter now." The tone of voice clearly stated that a new topic was needed.  
  
"So my father's death had nothing to do with the slight grudge the underworld has against me?"  
  
Labyrinth sipped his drink again, pausing to lick the small trace of blood left on his top lip. "You know better than that, Draco. It's not personal. They're only doing it for the reward."  
  
"And to be the one to claim they brought down the famous Draco Malfoy."  
  
The young man smiled, tipping his drink in a small salute. "Well, maybe a little of that as well."  
  
"That would be personal."  
  
"That would be your own fault."  
  
Draco smiled for a second before continuing on. "Have you found out anything more about who has placed the hit?"  
  
The other shook his head, watching his drink swirl around in his glass. "Even the most stupid of us know not to really tell me anything about all that. They know I meet you, and that I let you live each and every time. Some may not know who I used to be, but all they care about is that I'm different."  
  
The two sat in silence for a few moments. Draco absently pushed his glass around the table. "You didn't come for my birthday."  
  
Labyrinth gave a laugh, a real laugh and he rewarded Draco with a beautiful smile. "I thought it would be best. Close quarters, with all those heartbeats. Didn't want any little accidents happening." The smile faded as his dark brown eyes slid to Draco's neck. "You still have the scars." His voice was flat.  
  
From habit, Draco reached his fingers up to the two marks on his throat. He remembered that night very well indeed.  
  
_'You'll fucking pay for what you did to me, Malfoy.'   
  
'I only tried to help.'   
  
'Bullshit, you left me there to die.'  
  
Draco felt stinging pain in his neck as the hands on his shoulders tightened. His former, now dead, friend had crept up from behind and grabbed him, making him unable to turn around. He had gone to swing his sword around, but his arm had stopped when his brain recognised the voice. He knew he still should have carried the shot through but he didn't, guilt from the past rising up quickly. Instead he now dropped his weapon and reached his hands up to cradle the head by his neck. Even as he felt the blood being sucked from his body he didn't try to pull away. 'I did everything I could to save you. You were my friend.' He whispered, his fingers sliding through the soft hair of his attacker. 'I'm so sorry.' Pain increased as the other tore his mouth away, ripping the delicate skin even more.  
  
'You betrayed me.'  
  
Draco shook his head slowly, not wanting to aggravate the wound. 'No, I took you to the hospital. They said it was too late, that they'd burn your body before you rose. I stole you back, couldn't let them do that. You saved me, I saved you, I took you back to her, told her to train you.'  
  
'Liar.'  
  
And then the teeth were back, the mouth sealing over the wounds and sucking. Draco could feel himself starting to weaken. 'If you're going to kill me, take me with you. I'll make it up to you, I swear. I never wanted this. Gusjowi no, n' gsoipf. 'Au xisi n' dmutitv.' Draco muttered in the undead tongue. 'I told her to train, to keep safe, I took her finger as a warning.' He was almost unconscious by this point.  
  
His attacker froze and then pulled away suddenly. 'What did you say? What did you take?'  
  
'Her finger, her finger.' Draco repeated unsteadily. He could feel the spilled blood running down to his shirt, but for once he wasn't worried about his clothes getting stained. 'Tried to find you, had to say sorry. Been looking so long. Had to find you, came here for you.' His words were slowing down quite noticeably as his brain fought to think coherently. His hand was lifted and placed over his neck.  
  
'Slow the bleeding.' The voice had lost it's accusative tone, was soft and gentle, almost guilty with the hint of fear. Draco absently thought that the cool breath across his ear was almost comforting. 'Keep your eyes open, Draco. Someone wants them shut.'  
  
He half felt that he was being lowered to the floor and then his attacker took a step back. He vaguely heard someone shouting his name and his brain tried to focus. It knew that voice, could hear the worry in it. Softly, distantly, the voice called his name again and Draco unthinkingly stretched his hand out in the direction. 'Harry.' He whispered, feeling to dizzy and cold to say it any louder than that.  
  
'He's here!' The voice behind Draco hollered and then all was silent in the room before Harry burst in and fell to his knees next to where Draco sat, still weakly holding his left hand to his neck.  
  
'Draco? Draco?' The voice was still so distant, but it made Draco feel better as his eyes slipped shut._  
  
"Why do you still keep them?"  
  
Draco shifted his gaze back to his companion. "Keep what?"  
  
Labyrinth sighed. "The scars, Draco, the scars. They can be removed, you know."  
  
"I like to remember."  
  
Labyrinth gave a snarl but Draco wasn't worried. "Have them removed. I hate to look at them."  
  
"You thought you knew what you were doing and why you were doing it."  
  
"I don't care, get rid of them."  
  
Draco lowered his head in concession. "They'll be gone by the end of the week."  
  
Again they fell into silence, and Draco continued to ignore how no one else, excepting Gelric, in the establishment had spoken since his arrival.  
  
"You should drink your blood before it congeals." Labyrinth said, more to break the silence than anything.  
  
Draco smiled lifting his glass. "I thought most undead pubs had a special ingredient to stop it from doing that?"  
  
"It's just a figure of speech." Labyrinth motioned to the man in the corner, and the two glasses were taken away, only to have two more placed on the table. Draco sighed, causing Labyrinth to smile. "It's quite clean I assure you. Nothing but the best, for my guest."  
  
Draco smiled. "I usually only like A positive."  
  
Labyrinth's shoulders shook from his attempt to not laugh at Draco's causal, slightly snooty tone. "Just drink you're blood before it goes cold, it'll annoy them more." He flicked his head in the general direction of the other patrons.  
  
Draco took a small sip, much to Labyrinth's shock. "It's all right I guess. Has a rather disturbing minty taste. What? Did you drain a leprechaun or something?"  
  
Labyrinth was still staring in surprise and for the first time in almost five years he stumbled on his words. "Um, that's ... that's the anti-coagulant. You get used to it after awhile."  
  
Draco nodded absently. "They won't tell me what happened to him."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"My father."  
  
"Aurors can't work on cases that involve family."  
  
"I know, and I hate it. I'd do better than them."  
  
"Who has it?"  
  
Draco scrunched his nose up. "Harry."  
  
Labyrinth sighed. "Rumours of your ..... problems, have made their way, even to here."  
  
"I'm sure everyone knows." Draco took another sip of his drink, noticing that his friend was right, the minty taste was barely noticeable at all this time.  
  
"I always thought the two of you would be together forever. That what he did last year, only proved it."  
  
"Can we not talk about him?"  
  
"If you like. What **will** we talk about? You seem reluctant to leave."  
  
"I just don't understand what's going on. My father and still, all the undeads out to get me. I wish I knew something, anything. The walls are closing in on me again. I hate it when they do that."  
  
"You may have to go to another source for such things. I could give you a list of names, but how helpful they'll choose to be, I don't know."  
  
Draco nodded.  
  
"And it will cost you."  
  
"Yeah, and there are only three things vampires are interested in." Draco recited automatically.  
  
Labyrinth smiled. "Blood, money and sex." He leant forwards slightly. "Which are you offering?"  
  
Draco gave a small smile. "All but the last."  
  
"Pity."  
  
Draco's gave flickered back to his friends face. "You never used to go that way."  
  
"Ahh, but everything is different now." Labyrinth settle back into his chair. "You stop caring who it's with after awhile, only interested in how good it is."  
  
"And what have you found in your little adventures?"  
  
Labyrinth gave a smirk that truly reminded Draco of the old days. The vampire's voice was soft and deep when he spoke, and The blonde had a very good idea of how easily it must be for his friend to find a willing victim. "Male or female, humans are good. They're warmer and it tingles the skin. You can smell their heat ... the blood ... the lust. It fills the senses. You can hear their heart pounding. Always starts off slow, then racing by the end, and you can make it change all the time between that. Speed it up, then slow it down, letting them cool off. But sadly the heartbeat will be your downfall if you're not careful. Becomes to tempting to not just slow it down, but to make it stop."  
  
"Always a risk to sex, no matter who it's with."  
  
"True but that heartbeat .... I mean, take a look around you. They're all trying not to look at you, but you know that they are. We can all hear your heart, beating its own little tune and it's driving them crazy. Duh-duh, duh-duh, duh-duh. As perfect as a fucking metronome. They know you're not afraid of them and they hate it. They want you to reek of fear, and you refuse. They want your heart to race, to hitch, to stop and you won't give them the satisfaction." Labyrinth held his hand out, asking for Draco's and was granted it. He ran his fingers over the pulse. "You're one of a kind, Draco, you always were. You fascinate them and they hate you for it, they fear you and yet they still want you. You make them question everything they know, re-evaluate all the things they thought they knew about themselves. Do you know how confusing that must be for them?"  
  
"Yes." Draco said quietly, knowing exactly what his friend meant. "I've been there before."  
  
"Ahh yes. I had almost forgotten about him."  
  
Draco looked away. "Can we not talk about **him** either?"  
  
"You can't hide forever, Draco."  
  
"I'm not hiding, I just choose to not think about it. We all had to make sacrifices, decisions. It was war, that's what it's all about. I finally made mine."  
  
"Would you do it again?"  
  
"Yes." Draco spat out, looking back and not letting his gaze waver. A smile played at his lips then. "In a heartbeat." He whispered softly.  
  
Labyrinth laughed again, releasing Draco's hand. "I do enjoy our meetings, they make me feel almost alive."  
  
Draco tilted his head slightly, not worrying that it gave some of the onlookers a tempting looking target. "Do I fascinate you?"  
  
"I didn't need to be dead for you to do that. I'd watch you as you planned, as you led us in to battle. There was always something about you. You both hated and loved your life, your work, your situation. You did what you had to do, and you did it with that look in your eyes. Bright and dangerous. Anyone else would have broken under it all. Everything you'd already been through, all the things you'd already done and yet you kept going. Every single day."  
  
Draco stared into the fire, knowing that wasn't exactly true. There had been many times he had almost faltered. Many times he'd almost cracked. Part of him was sure he had, just that no one had noticed. He took one last sip of his drink. "I should go."  
  
"Yes." Labyrinth took out a piece of paper. "I knew you'd come to find me, whether it was here or not. I've already made the list for you."  
  
"Thank you. What do you want for it?" Draco stood up, ready for whatever the answer would be.  
  
"Consider it a birthday present."  
  
"No. That would make you look weak in front of your ..... associates." Draco held his arms out to the side a little. "All but the last." He repeated. He saw the dark eyes slide to his wrist and smiled, offering it out to him.  
  
Labyrinth looked away, shaking his head.  
  
Draco step closer and held his wrist next to the turned away face. "Go on. I don't mind."  
  
"You do it out of guilt."  
  
"I do it out of friendship." Draco corrected firmly. "You know the deal. I don't kill you, you don't kill me ... we never speak of each other to anyone else."  
  
Labyrinth turned his head back and gently gripped the arm in front of him.  
  
Draco absently ran his fingers through the dark hair as he felt the teeth slide into his skin. It never hurt, his friend never wanted to hurt him again, he knew that. He felt the pull as the blood left his body and just held still.  
  
Labyrinth pulled his teeth out gently and turned his head to look away again. "Don't keep the scars." He growled out, more disgusted with himself than angry at Draco for offering what he knew he couldn't refuse.  
  
Draco placed his fingers on his friend's chin and forced the other to look back at him. He smiled and placed a kiss on his forehead. "I'll see you."  
  
Labyrinth nodded as Draco walked away. He watched quietly as his old friend Flooed out. He closed his eyes and muttered a curse in the undead language. He and Draco had been dancing like this for too long. It would be the death of one of them. And they both knew it.  
  
  
To Be Continued. 


	5. Part Four : Murder By Numbers

Disclaimer: Look! Look! *points gleefully* It's the official document saying that I own them all! Look, it's right there! That pig with wings has it in his mouth!

Warnings: Nothing much really. :)

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Smoke & Mirrors.

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Part Four. Murder By Numbers.

_"Have you ever envisioned your funeral, Draco?"_

_Draco was standing over at the sink, washing his hands.__ He turned his head to left, running his eyes over what he could see of his companion, trying to gauge whether or not the question was asked seriously. "No."_

_"I have."_

_This was a surprising revelation to the young blonde. He knew that the man in the shadows was capable of 'envisioning' many things, but had not expected this one. "You have?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Why would you want to think about your funeral?"_

_The man laughed gently, walking up behind Draco and slipped his arms around the boy's waist and smiling when this brought a shiver. "No, you misunderstand me. I meant that I had pictured yours."_

_"Oh." Draco was less surprised with this. In fact, when he thought about it, it fitted in perfectly. He tilted his head and tensed slightly when warm lips fell to his neck in a gentle kiss._

_"Do you want to know how I think it would go?"_

_Draco's heart was pounding as lust and fear stormed through his body, hard enough to make him fumble with the hand towel he had just reached for. He took a steadying breath and dried his hands, then let them drift to rest on the arms that now held him from behind. "How?"_

_"Hundreds of people shall come to mourn their loss. These people would bring flowers, sweet smelling and bright, filling the hall with the scent of fading life. Lay them on your coffin as an offering, or perhaps as an apology. It would be during the day, but with dark clouds obscuring most of the light. No rain though, that's what the eyes of the mourners are for." Another soft kiss placed on Draco's neck and the arms tightened somewhat, trying to bring the boy closer. "Don't you think that would be beautiful?"_

_Draco smiled. "You make it sound pleasant."_

_"Pity that when it happens you won't be able to appreciate it."_

_Draco nodded slowly, calmer than he had been before but by no means peaceful.__ His erection was aching, his headache was building behind his eyes and there was a war going on between his two strongest primal instincts. As always, he couldn't decide what he wanted more, to run or to beg._

_"Perhaps we should throw you a mock funeral? We could buy you a coffin and get you to lie in it. Invite a few people we know, they would say such nice things about you." He loosened his grip a little a turned the boy to face him. "I like the idea of you and your coffin. Like my own personal trophy case to hold you, keep you away from the harsh sunlight."_

_Draco smiled softly again. "You want to keep me safe?"_

_"If only just to keep you."___

_Draco slid his hands up hesitantly, never sure how to act in situations like this. It didn't help that sometimes he would be rewarded for doing something and yet, the same thing, could bring punishment at other times. He reasoned that was probably why his heart felt like it was going to fail and he would end up getting his real funeral after all, sooner than expected._

_But__ all that happened this time was he was pulled closer, those lips falling to his this time. He breathed through his nose as a wet tongue pushed passed the barrier of flesh. His jaw moved automatically, allowing entrance to his mouth and as the tongue found his own, Draco's hand slipped up further, coming to rest at the back of the head, barely gripping the soft hair._

_When they broke apart, Draco let go completely and let his companion step away to gather his things._

_"You always do something to me, Draco. I don't know how you manage it." The voice was deeper than usual, and Draco felt a twinge of pride at the slight quiver he had heard._

_But__ he didn't let it show. He knew that after a hard night's work, things were always more … something. He could never think of the word, but he knew what it felt like. "I don't mean to make you uncomfortable." He whispered as a reply._

_"Uncomfortable, isn't the right word. We're done for the evening, your progressing well. Finish cleaning up and come downstairs."_

_Draco was left in the room alone and he looked around trying to get control over his confused emotions. A few steadying breaths as he tried not to think about many things and make his heartbeat return to normal. Idly, he picked up the hand towel again and swirled it around, wondering what he was supposed to finish cleaning. He couldn't really see anything wrong, but it was fairly dark._

_"Draco?" The voice called from the hallway._

_The blonde sighed, hoping that there actually wasn't anything left to clean up and put the cloth down. "I'm right behind you." It was brighter in the hall and Draco could see him better. He smiled. "Did you see you there?"_

_"What?"_

_"When you pictured my funeral.__ Were you there?"_

_"Do you think I would go?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because you would."___

_The man smiled and snapped his book shut. "Then I guess that's your answer. Come along, we have to see a few people before I can send you back." He started to walk off and turned back slightly, annoyed at the slow pace Draco was starting. "Quicker!"_

_Draco obeyed instantly, muttering his concession.__ "Yes,  sorry.."_

_They walked in silence, down the staircase, across the hall, down the next staircase, until they reached the dungeons. Rows and rows of bars, the fronts of cells and Draco refused to look into any of them._

_"All right, Draco. There's just one last thing we have to take care of tonight. Here it is, number nine."_

_Draco reluctantly looked into the cell. His eyes widen slightly and he opened his mouth to demand to know what was going on._

_"No questioning me, Draco."_

_Draco was stopped by the warning tone in his voice and his head slumped a little after a few seconds of mental argument. "Yes, Jonas." He stepped forward to unlock the cell and bring the prisoner out._

"Are you even in this world?"

Draco looked up from the wood grain and frowned slightly. "What?"

Morgan patted him on the shoulder gently. "I said 'The coffin's here, should we get them to bring it in straight away?"

Draco nodded. "May as well. It would be a strange funeral where there was no actual dead person."

Morgan was going to comment on how Draco should not be dealing with the situation in that fashion but instead chose a different topic. "What were you thinking about?"

"Oh, nothing much. It doesn't really matter does it?" He sighed and tapped his fingers on the wood.

"You looked kind of, well, flushed."

Draco gave a absent shrug. "Whatever. Go and see what Saria is up to, will you? Last I knew she muttered something about finding some drinks then vanished. And not in the magical way, either."

Morgan nodded and headed off, not really wanting to watch Draco irritably write another obscene word into the pastor's podium with his fingertips. But he knew Draco's bad mood wasn't anyone's fault. Or if it was, then it was everyone's fault.

Draco was frustrated. Three days, and still no-one knew anything. Morgan and Saria had interviewed almost every person who had been present at Draco's birthday celebration, which had brought about nothing. The three of them had poked and prodded every contact they had, whether in the Ministry or other places less pleasant, and hadn't found even a single clue, helpful or otherwise.

He had even leant on a few people he knew would be assisting with the investigation, but it seemed as if Harry and Hermione were just as lost as they were. Frankly he was pissed off about that. He knew that he shouldn't expect instant results, he'd certainly been in this job long enough to understand that, but he felt that at least a tiny bit of progress should have been made by now. He looked over to where Morgan was now physically dragging Saria into the room and sighed, wondering what they were going to start arguing about now.

"I found her outside, hitting on one of the valets."

Draco pushed his hair away from his eyes and nodded. "Don't you have any class?"

"He was hot!" She argued back in her defense.

"We're about to attend a funeral." Morgan muttered as he checked his clothes to make sure everything looked clean and neat. He walked off, leaving Draco to deal with Saria as the blonde seemed to be the only one who could talk any sense in her. He had been watching his friend very closely in the last few days and wasn't really liking what he was seeing. Draco looked tired and miserable, something Morgan hated to see. But he knew he couldn't push the subject too much or else risk being shut out completely. The young man sighed, taking his place in the pews, he really hated how moody Draco could be.

The funeral hadn't gone too badly and now everyone was dragging themselves through the rest of the day. Only a small gathering of people had come for the wake, though there had been many for the service. Draco was standing by the refreshment table and looking around, casually wondering if any of these people were the reason they were here today. Gave a small smile and wave to Severus, standing over by the wall, who returned them with a nod. Draco had no doubt that Severus was thinking the exact same thing, and had probably only turned up to see if he could find any suspects.

Draco watched the older man for a few moments, truly grateful that he had been there the last few days. If you wanted something to be done with efficiency and precision while you were too emotionally wrecked, call for Severus. Draco had spent the day after his birthday, sitting in Severus' room, drinking his bourbon as the elder had arranged almost everything. Unfortunately, Narcissa had decided she could at least handle arranging the wake. Draco rubbed his neck and looked around at all the pale flowers and decorations. "Thank god he didn't come back as a ghost. Can you imagine his horror at this Hufflemark production?"

"What's Hufflemark?" Saria said as she absently stirred the punch.

"Well, there's this thing with the Muggles about Hallmark ... and then there are Hufflepuffs ... oh, never mind." Draco went back to looking around, absently sipping from the cup of punch Saria had pushed into his hand. His eyes fell on someone and he stood up straighter. "I'll be back." He brushed off Saria's questions and walked towards who he had spotted, catching Morgan's arm as he went passed, pulling him away from where he was having a conversation with someone Draco sort of recognized as a man from headquarters.

Morgan called his apologies back and then kept up with Draco of his own accord. "What?"

"Naida. We haven't talked to her yet." Draco walked around a few people then finally got to where he wanted to be. Naida was talking quietly with someone Draco didn't recognize but the blonde was in no mood for waiting. "Hello, thank you for coming, sorry to interrupt. Naida, can I have a word?" Then promptly grabbed her arm and did the same trick he used for Morgan.

"Honestly, boy, your manners get worse with every passing day." She was looking displeased but her tone was amused.

"We just wanted to ask you a few things about the night of my party."

"Ah, about your father and all. Well, I didn't see him much. Though he did excuse himself before most of the guests started to leave." She smiled, not wanting her next remark to be taken the wrong way. "You must have inherited your hospitality skills from him."

Draco gave a brief smile before his next question. "And you didn't see anything out of place."

"Well, no. But, then again, I wasn't really looking for anything. You don't go to a birthday party and expect to be consorting with a possible murderer. Well, actually, at a birthday party for you, I suppose even that's possible."

"Has anyone else asked you about that night?"

"If you're referring to your good for nothing husband and his gang of bandits, yes. They turned up yesterday, poking around my home and asking silly questions like 'And in what capacity did you know the deceased?"

Draco smiled, recognizing a good Hermione imitation when he heard it. "Yes, well, I'll tell them you were unimpressed, I have a couple of things I want to talk about with them, too."

"Sooner than you may think." Naida nodded her head to her right. "They just turned up."

Draco looked around to see Hermione, Harry and Thias, removing their outer cloaks and handing them to the doorman. "They were invited. Well, two of them were anyway."

"I never understood what you saw in that boy. Too quiet for my liking. I never trust anyone who is too quiet."

"Yeah, well, you weren't the one marrying him, so I guess that doesn't matter. Morgan, go stall them for a bit, make sure they don't just pay their respects to my mother and leave." He scowled. "There really are a few things I want to speak to them about." He gave a cheerful nod to Naida. "Thanks for coming, old woman."

Naida crossed her arms, glowering at him. "I'll have you know that most people would not consider me old. I was younger than your father, may the gods hold his soul."

"Yeah well, by next year you won't be able to say that." He smiled as he crossed his arms. "And I'll have **you** know that most people would not consider me 'Most People'."

"Don't I know it." Naida muttered grumpily as Draco began to head for where Morgan was hovering behind Hermione. "Oh and boy? Do be careful. It's a sick world we live in."

Draco gave a wave and walked quickly through the milling people. He arrived at Morgan's side and nodded his thanks. He smiled pleasantly. "Hermione, Harry," His tone simply moved to tolerant for the next name. "Thias. Good of you to come. A word, if you don't mind?"

Thias had begun to decline when Hermione slapped him in the back of the head. All five moved over to an empty table and took their places.

"How are you holding up?" Hermione asked gently.

"I'm fine. Now what I wanted to talk to you is, well,  about my father."

"Ko, I told you when you called yesterday. As soon as we know any of the who, what or how that killed him, we will tell you. We won't leave in the dark." Harry crossed his arms, clearly displeased that it didn't seem as if Draco believed him.

"No, no, no, not that. You see, I took the liberty to open his coffin before it was moved from the hall to the graveyard …"

Hermione leant forward, interrupting him with a hiss. "That was sealed! No one was supposed to open it."

"Yes, I know. That's why I did it. You aroused my curiosity." Draco gave a plainly fake smile and rested his hands on the table. "Now, what I want to know is … Why was there a number 9 cut into his forehead?"

Morgan's eyes widened as Hermione looked to the table top, appearing very guilty.

To Be Continued.


	6. Part Five : Why If Not?

Disclaimer: Look! Look! *points gleefully* It's the official document saying that I own them all! Look, it's right there! That pig with wings has it in his mouth!

Warnings: Still nothing much really. :)

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Smoke & Mirrors.

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Part Five. Why If Not?

Draco slammed the door hard enough to shake the room. "Fucking bastards!"

Cujo looked up from her place on the bed and gave a small wuff, as if agreeing. The recently slammed door reopened and a slightly paler Morgan walked in.

"Next time, just warn me you're going to slam the door, will you? I nearly lost my face. All I saw was a huge board of wood rushing towards me." Morgan gave a weak smile. "I think I need to sit down."

"Sorry." It was only a mutter but Draco was too busy pacing to give a better apology. "But who the fuck do they think they are? They can't give me the 'That information is protected' bullshit forever. I **will** find out whatever is going on."

Before Morgan could reply, a deafening wailing noise rocked the entire house. Both men clapped their hands over their ears, wincing and patiently waited it out. It finally stopped and Draco shook his head, trying to get his ears to normalise.

Morgan rubbed his forehead and groaned. "Well **that** just cleared my headache right up, now didn't it? I really hate that alarm."

"It wouldn't be so bad if the vampires didn't insist on trying to attack me at home about once a week."

"Maybe you could convince them to cut it back to once a month?"

"I'll talk to my contacts about it."

Morgan looked slightly uncomfortable by the fact that Draco seemed quite serious. "And why do you think the greedy vampires would actually take what you said into account?"

"Because they're terrified of me. The ones that know who I am, at any rate." Draco shoved Cujo over to the other side and lay down. "Most of the ones that have met me wouldn't dare come after me, no matter how much they were offered. Those that met me and are still walking around, anyway."

Morgan pulled up the chair and sat down, propping his feet up on the mattress. "And how did you get to be such a fearsome superhero?"

"You already know how. Dumbledore transferred me to hunt vampires when Voldemort sent me to research."

"That was just after …" Morgan shut his mouth and averted his eyes when Draco looked to him.

"What were you going to say?"

"It doesn't matter."

"You were going to say his name?" Draco sat up, looking at his friend in concern. "I wasn't aware you remembered that?"

"Bits and pieces." Morgan's fingers fiddled with the blanket.

"Since when?" Draco knew he'd probably said that a little too harshly but didn't correct himself.

"I started therapy just after I finished school. I kept feeling as if something was missing. It took forever before I could remember anything."

"Well, they say it's a hard journey."

"Sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."

Draco frowned. "I don't like you keeping secrets from me, Morgan. I mean," He paused, trying to think of how to say it. "I mean, I know **I** keep secrets, but that's different."

"I know. I'm sorry."

Draco relented and let go of his anger. "Well, I'm sorry too. I lied to you once, not that I knew I was doing it."

Morgan finally looked back up. "What?"

Draco gave a small smile. "Do you remember when I brought out that card? You know, when I was … missing a few years."

"Yeah."

"Well, I said to you that if I hadn't mentioned it before I must not have made the connection. That wasn't true." Draco shifted uncomfortably. "I knew that card was from you the second I walked into your house for the first time. That was when I realised how you seemed so familiar, that night."

"My living room was a bit of a give away, huh?"

"Oh come on, it's depressing and you know it." Draco scrunched his nose up. "All those angel statues that you've enchanted to cry. Creepy. Especially that one that looks like me."

"So how did you think today went?"

"Could have been worse."

"And How do you think you're doing?"

Draco shrugged a little. "I've been worse. Just pissed of at Harry and Hermione."

"They're just following orders."

Draco snorted, moving to lie back down. "That's bullshit and you know it. We've all bent the rules before, gone against our orders. Especially for each other."

"Things are different now."

"Why? Because I'm not fucking him anymore? That's pathetic. They're not keeping me out of the loop because of that. There's something else." He scowled and crossed his arms. "At least there better be."

"Maybe he's just uncomfortable."

"And what right does he have? **He** kicked **me** out, remember?"

"I'm just saying … I don't think he's dealing with it as well as he thought he would."

"Serve the little prick right."

"Thias isn't helping. All that touching and stuff. Anyone would think he was trying to hit on him."

"He is."

Morgan raised an eyebrow. "Um, well … not to sound like an expert or anything but I always got the impression that he was … well, straight."

"He is."

"Right. So he's hitting on Harry because?"

"To piss me off." Draco smiled. "It works of course, not that I let him see that."

"And Harry just lets him?"

"Guess he wants to see if I'll get jealous."

"Which you do."

"Which I hide."

"Which makes them both angry."

"Which makes me feel better."

"And that would be your vindictive side playing up again."

"Got it in one." Draco finally dragged himself back to his feet and walked over to his desk. He sat down and rummaged around for awhile before he pulled out a fresh note book, flicking it open to the front. "So what do we know? Victim drained. Not vampires."

"How can you be so sure? It might have been one, wanting to hurt you. Also to get you away from the house more."

"Because I talked to my most reliable contact there and he said it wasn't."

"And he's not after the reward himself?"

"No. He wouldn't do that to me. I trust him."

"With your life?"

Draco nodded, not bothering to turn around and actually look at Morgan. "With my life."

"No offense, but he almost killed you once, if it's the same one we're talking about."

"That was different. And he wasn't after the reward then, either. That was personal." Draco went back to writing the notes down. "The number 9 cut into his forehead."

"How did he look?"

Draco paused in his note taking again, trying to think of how to describe what he had seen. "Like some one had tried to inflate a balloon but not done a proper job of it. His skin was too loose, they had to stitch his eye lids closed." His voice came softer. "It wasn't pleasant. The 9 was slightly warped, so I'm thinking it was cut in after he was drained."

 "Why?"

"Because if it was cut in before he was drained, it would have changed with the draining and then changed again when they tried to … refill him. That would have been well after rigor mortis set in. It would have been shaped differently."

"I guess I'll just have to trust you on that."

"Whatever was used to kill him possibly restricted his ability to speak."

"Oh come on, how could you know that?"

"His wand was tested, he made the Dark Mark. My father knows a thousand spells that he could have used to defend himself but that was the only one he did. If you concentrate very hard the Dark Mark is quite simple to conjure without any words. It would have been even easier he had was panicking. The adrenaline would have boosted it."

"His attacker could have been the one to make it. Might have wanted it to look like Lucius did it. Maybe it was a comment to his years as a Death Eater, Though, I guess not, he was a spy after all."

"Maybe not." Draco looked over and gave a tight smile. "Some people don't see a distinction between a DE and a spy."

"Well, they're idiots."

"Perhaps, perhaps not."

"What else have we got?"

"Not much really. We don't know what, who, how or even why he was killed."

"Sounds like a fun assignment. Especially when you take in to account that the assignment's not ours."

"Not yet."

"You honestly think The Boss will let you have this case?"

"I just have to prove to him that I'd be a better candidate."

"You do realise that means out smarting Hermione, don't you?"

"It's been done before."

"By you?"

"Once or twice."

"Are we back on to 'Things and Times We Don't Talk About' again?"

"Maybe a little."

"I really hate it when you answer questions like that."

"I know. That's why I do it."

Morgan threw a pillow at him, making them both laugh when it deflected back without Draco looking around. "Damn your paranoia."

"Well excuse me for not liking projectiles that bombard me from behind." But Draco unclipped the pendant that had prevented the feathery attack and placed it in the top drawer. He had taken to wearing it pinned inside his clothes just after everything had been cleared up with Ron. He'd always prided himself on having excellent senses but that one time, when he'd almost been hit with that arrow had made him lose a little faith in his abilities. "Morgan?"

"Mmmmm?"

"Do you ever think about what your funeral would be like?"

"No. Why would anyone do that?"

"Never mind. Just wondering."

"I worry about you … a lot."

"That's very sweet, but I'm fine."

"You mother isn't."

"I know, she's a wreck."

"Well, she did love him and now … it's not wonderful."

"Yeah." Draco titled his head to the side, thinking about how pale and miserable his mother had looked today. "It never occurred to me, you know."

"What hadn't?"

"That she loved him. I'd always just thought … well, it doesn't matter now."

"You thought your parents only got married cause they were both purebloods?"

"Yeah, but I guess not. I mean, if that was the reason my father could have easily married her sister. But I don't think that was ever mentioned."

"No offense or anything, but your mum's sister was a real bitch. I don't think even Lucius took bloodlines **that** seriously. I can't believe she found someone to marry her."

"Each to their own, or whatever that saying is. She was rich and beautiful, for some people, that's enough."

"Well she's not beautiful now."

"She had her soul sucked out, of course she isn't."

"I never used to think that anyone would deserve that punishment, but from I heard, she did."

"There's always an exception to every rule. I used to think no one deserved to be executed. Still do, now. But sometimes we have to make allowances."

"I think Cujo's hungry."

"I'll feed her shortly. I'm trying to think if anything else needs to be written down."

"Saria's coming by later, said she found a few things for us to look over. Something about really sticking it to A. Why does she call him that?"

_Hissing voice, filled with rage and hate. "You pathetic little whore. I should have seen what you were up to."_

_"No, I didn't do anything. I swear it to you on my life!"_

_"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."_

_Draco held his head high, knowing he had been found out and that there was nothing more he could do. "So what is it if I fool you three times?" A snarl, and then all Draco could feel was cold. 'So cold' he thought to himself._

"Draco!"

"Sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked you about why Saria calls Thias, A. I said it like four times."

"Sorry, guess I'm a little tired. Um, you should ask her. Or maybe him. He seems to hate it so much, maybe he figured it out."

"I know that you know."

"Well, yes, but I told her I wouldn't say anything."

"Fine. Look, I have to go home, get changed, all that stuff."

"Okay." Draco remembered something just as he heard Morgan get to the door. "Oh, Morgan?"

"Yeah?"

"I want you to move in here. Just for awhile, if you like. I'm sick of this empty house, its silence drives me crazy." He looked around to try to gauge Morgan's reaction. He couldn't bring himself to say that living on his own was starting to creep him out, though he couldn't think why.

Morgan looked back at him for a few moments before nodding. "I'll go pack."

"Thanks." Draco turned back to his desk and once he was sure Morgan was gone, he retrieved the pendant from where he had placed it in the drawer and looked at it. "What are you doing to me?" He turned it around a few times, his fingers searching for anything out of place, more out of habit then anything else. He placed it on the desk top, looking at it intently. "What are you doing to me?"

To Be Continued.         Don't forget to vote in the poll for who you think the killer is at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CalmardaaFics


	7. Part Six : Love Of God

Disclaimer: Look! Look! *points gleefully* It's the official document saying that I own them all! Look, it's right there! That pig with wings has it in his mouth!

Warnings: Still nothing much really. :)

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Smoke & Mirrors.

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Part Six. Love Of God

Draco was sitting cross-legged on his bed, sifting through some papers with his foot and leaning over slightly to put his cigarette out in the ashtray when the phone rang. He practically had to roll on to his back in order to reach the nightstand from where he was but he managed it.

"Hello?"

No voice, just a little background noise from what sounded like a television.

"Hello?" Draco tried again.

Nothing.

He took the phone away from his ear to check the caller id and then sighed softly. Placing it back to his ear, it wasn't a questioning tone that he used this time. "Hello."

Still no response.

Draco didn't care how pathetic he sounded, he just knew it had to be said. "Why are you doing this to me, Harry?"

A loud click and Draco listened to the soft beeps of the now dead line for a few seconds before returning the handset to the base. "Wish he'd make his bloody mind up. Talking to me, not talking to me, not talking to me but calls anyway. Honestly, that boy needs help."

Cujo, who was playing with her ball on the floor, didn't even look over to him when he spoke.

Draco returned to sorting through his papers, actually bothering to use his hands this time, but was interrupted only moments later by a loud thump on the wall. He closed his eyes and tried not to yell, but this was the sixth time in the last hour. "MORGAN! What the hell are you doing in there?"

"This fucking wardrobe won't open!"

"Did you unlock it?"

"Of course I bloody unlocked it! I've been trying to open it ever since I moved in."

Sick of yelling through the wall and deciding to give his paperwork a break anyway, Draco stood up and made his way to Morgan's door. "Just give it a whack, that usually works."

"What the hell do you think I've been doing?"

"Trying to knock down my wall?"

"Oh, sorry, but seriously, I've tried everything and it won't budge."

Draco crossed his arms and walked over to the offending piece of furniture. "Morgan's going to be staying here for awhile, so no more funny stuff." He smacked it on its side. "Or I'll go get the axe." He tested the door and it swung open obediently. "That usually works too."

"Thanks. I got sick of my clothes staying in my trunk." Morgan picked up said trunk and merely poured the clothes into the new acquired space.

Draco rolled his eyes and headed out. "I'm off to see Severus, few things to get some advice on. If I'm not back in time, do me a favour and feed the bottomless pit that's masquerading as a dog."

"Will do. Be careful."

"Aren't I always?" Draco smiled and headed towards the stairs.

"No!" Morgan called after him.

Smiling, Draco headed towards the fireplace and disarmed the ward that was placed there to stop anyone from Flooing in. He made sure to be quick as it wasn't really disabled, just shut down for a short period of time. When he reached the end of his journey, he gave a yelp when he bounced off the exit he was supposed to emerge from. Startled at this, he wasn't prepared for when he was dumped out at the next exit along.

Fortunately it was still a grate in Hogwarts, he'd landed in Professor McGonagall's old office. He brushed himself off, giving the room a quick glance. He could never be sure of the name of new Transfiguration teacher. He knew it was something like Simpson or Simmons but he could never grasp it. He found that rather strange considering he had attended some classes with the man only the year before, when a few years of his memory had gone missing.

He headed for the door but it opened before he reached it and the teacher in question walked in, wiping his hands on a wash cloth. The man was understandably surprised to find someone in his office.

"Mister Malfoy?"

"Good evening, professor. I'm very sorry about this but it appears Professor Snape has warded his fireplace. I bounced off and landed here."

"Oh, I see. Yes, well Severus has been acting rather strange lately. More so than usual, I mean."

"Really? In what way?"

The professor walked to stand behind his desk and removed his cloak, placing it over his chair. "Well, if you're asking for what I think, I think he's paranoid."

"Severus has **always** been paranoid about something."

"I'm not talking about how he locks everything and checks four times every night to make sure it's still locked. I'm talking about how he doesn't eat at meals anymore, stays in his rooms when he's not in class. Except of course when he disappears for hours on end at night."

"Disappears?"

"We had a staff meeting a few nights ago … not even Dumbledore knew where he might be, he just wasn't here."

Draco shrugged. "I'm sure he has his reasons for all of this. Well, sorry again for my intrusion. It was nice seeing you."

"Good night, Mister Malfoy."

Draco hummed a tuneless song as he strode down to the dungeons. He hadn't lied to Morgan, he did have a couple of things in which he wanted some advice but mostly he just wanted to get out of the house. He was getting really sick of being so cooped up. He didn't care if it was the safest place for him to be. He didn't care that The Boss had 'strongly suggested' he spend every possible moment at home. He didn't care if the Shadow World had been offered a disgusting amount of money to try to kill him.

What he did care about was getting bored. And sitting at home, getting left out of things was a perfect way of boring him. He hated being kept out of the loop and he hadn't missed the fact that his work load intake was growing smaller and smaller every week. Something he was definitely going to take up with the appropriate people.

And the recent death of his father had only made things worse. He wanted that case and he wanted it now. But he kept his mouth shut, knowing he would manage it so long as he didn't rush things. He had a fair idea of how to go about convincing The Boss that he was the best Auror for the job.

He arrived at Severus' door and knocked, fully intending the first words out of his mouth to be 'What the bloody hell did you do to your fireplace?' but the door did not open. He knocked again. He sighed, thinking it typical that Severus would choose tonight to go on one of his mysterious 'disappearances'.

He shifted his weight from foot to foot and waited.

**********

The woman scratched at her throat, desperate for air but receiving none, merely adding to her anguish by covering the delicate skin with tiny cuts that slowly expelled her blood. At least until the red liquid reversed its direction, seeming to be sucked back into her body.

It was only a few more twitches before her corpse fell to the floor. A cloud of blue smoke slid out from between the already cooling lips. Once it was safely secured in its container, the shadowy intruder walked to the desk, rummaging through the many papers that littered its surface. Finding what was sought the move to leave was made before something caught the killer's attention.

The second cloud of smoke exited the body and drifted towards its home. Disturbed, the intruder reopened the container and watched in silence as the two parts became one again, flexing and billowing slightly before settling down, allowing the lid to be shut.

The killer's hands shook forcefully as the box was closed again, nearly causing the container to slip to the floor. After a few deep breaths the intruder continued to the door.

**********

Draco sighed and gave up on his former teacher returning anytime soon. After checking his watch he saw that it was well past midnight and he berated himself for bothering to stand there as long as he did. A sentiment his feet, legs and back agreed on after only the first step that he took. He evaluated his options of how to get home from Hogwarts. He could either check to see if any of the teachers were still in the lounge and enquire if he could use their fireplace. He decided for his second option which was to go to Dumbledore, knowing full well that the headmaster would still be up and was probably even waiting for him.

When he rounded the appropriate corner and saw that the old wizard was indeed standing outside, clearly waiting for him, he sighed, wishing that Dumbledore would at least pretend to not know what was going on.

But Draco didn't consider himself lucky enough to slip **two** things past the cunning old man in only one lifetime. He had already managed it once, so he supposed that was his limit.

"Good morning, Draco."

"Don't old men need to sleep?"

"Bearing in mind that you have come here to ask a favour of me, one would think you might show a little manners."

Draco could see he hadn't really offended him though, so had no concerns in pressing his luck. "Would one? So what would two think?"

Dumbledore smiled, but hid it quickly. "Why don't you come up, we could have a little chat before you go." His tone implied that it was not a request.

"Oh goody." Draco muttered with little enthusiasm. He obligingly followed behind and accepted the offered chair politely.

"So how have you been faring?" It held an accusing tone, as if certain matters of late were to be blamed upon the blonde.

Draco matched it with his own. "I missed you at my father's funeral." He could tell from Dumbledore's eyes that he'd won that round and smiled pleasantly.

"Yes. I thought perhaps I shouldn't attend. Your father and I were never close."

"Except of course when you had your hands around each other's necks."

"That was only the one time, and I did not participate in that. I was only trying to get him to let go of me." Dumbledore lifted the teapot and inclined it towards his guest. "Tea?"

"No, thank you. You know I don't like your tea. It tastes terrible."

"It's only a little lemon juice."

"Dumbledore, as fun as this is considering I'm in pain and in need of some sleep, I'm sure you didn't bring me up here to force hot water mixed with plant extract down my throat."

"Peculiar description, where ever did you hear it?"

"From you."

"Ahh." Dumbledore removed his glasses and placed them on the desk. "Well, I did want to talk to you about Severus."

Draco was actually surprised at this. "Really? You don't want to rant and rave to me about how I clearly mistreated Harry and that I should be ashamed of what ever it was that I did? Or you don't want to see if about to collapse into insanity by the sudden, mysterious, unexplainable death of my father?"

"While those are both excellent topics and probably should be discussed, they are not the main concern of mine right now, no."

Draco gave a genuine smile. "Well, this should at least by a nice change. Did you know that The Boss has suggested I go into counseling for what happen to Lucius?"

"I had heard, yes."

"I mean honestly, I'm not about to fall apart, collapsing to the floor in tears and screaming for the pain to stop. If anyone needs counseling, that would be my mother. I'm really starting to worry about her. But, you were saying something about Severus."

"I'm concerned with all these nights he's been disappearing. Especially now with you father's death only last week. I fear he may have taken it harder than it appears."

Draco snorted, nearly dropping the biscuit he was helping himself to. "I don't think Severus is about to burst into tears either."

"Well, perhaps not. But they were good friends and worked very closely together. Even Severus must have his moments of softness."

"Not necessarily. And please don't say it like that, it makes it sound as if they were lovers. Which I know for a fact they weren't … thank the heavens."

"My point is, Severus doesn't have many friends. Losing one might not be good for his state of mind."

"Dumbledore, have you been slipping a little something extra into your tea or something? Losing a friend is never what anyone would consider good for the state of a mind, whether you have one or one hundred. I'm sure he's doing fine."

"I'm not so sure. After all the things he's seen over the years. Everything he's been through."

"Rubbish. I did much of the same so I would know. Severus will not be thrown into the pits of despair by all these goings on. If anything he'd probably out there trying to work out who did it for himself."

"Then how do you explain that he started before Lucius' death?"

"Well, it hasn't been completely confirmed to me, but I'm sure that there was something more … something happened before my father died, something connected."

"Even so, I was wondering if you could do me a small favour?"

Draco scowled, crossing his arms in a defensive manner. "I never like what you say after that."

Dumbledore continued on unabated. "I was wondering if you could drop by every now and then? More frequently than you have been."

Draco just at the headmaster in shock. "You want me to spy on him? On **Severus**?"

"Not exactly, just try to keep him company. Find out why he's so restless."

"I don't think I'd be comfortable with that. My days as a spy are well and truly over and I intend to do everything I can to ensure it stays that way."

"I told you, it's not spying. I don't care where he goes at night, or why. I just want to make sure that there's someone looking out for him."

Draco sat up as straight as possible and looked the older man in the eye. "Unlike some people, I have always looked out for him. If you really want someone to look out for him more than what I already can and do, I suggest you do it yourself." Draco stood, his body language clearly indicating that this conversation was over. "Or perhaps he doesn't have as much faith in you to keep him safe. Certainly not as much as he used to, I'm sure." He nodded his head in a goodbye gesture and walked to Dumbledore's fireplace.

"I'm only looking out for him, Draco. I know that even I have made some mistakes in the past, and  don't want to do it again." Dumbledore returned his glasses to his face. "At least think it over."

Draco threw the powder in, making sure to send the disarming spell before stepping into the fire.

Morgan was asleep in one of the chairs, waiting for Draco to come home. The blonde gave a small smile and gently shook him awake. "That can't be comfortable."

"Wanted to make sure you came back in one piece."

"Honestly, I only went to Hogwarts. Don't you trust me?"

"No."

"Clever boy." Draco helped him to his feet and pointed him in the direction of the stairs. "Well, I think we could both do with some sleep. I'm going to be dragging you out of bed very early so that we can go into Headquarters."

"What do you consider early?"

"About noon."

"You're a sick freak, Draco."

"Well, I try."

Morgan snickered and allowed himself to be pushed along until he reached his room. "Night."

Draco went to his own room and looked at all the paperwork that was strewn out across his bed. One good shove and it all hit the floor, where he decided it could stay until tomorrow. He pulled his shirt off and threw it to a nearby chair, not caring when it missed and joined some of his papers.

He slid into bed and was almost asleep instantly except for the phone ringing, startling him violently as it rang loudly in the otherwise quiet house. He fumbled with the phone for a second but managed it in the end. "Hello?"

Total silence. No breathing, no background noise, nothing.

"Hello?"

Again, silence.

Draco checked the caller id, but it didn't tell him anything useful. Just a number that he'd never seen before. "Who is this?"

The other person hung up and Draco gave the phone a wary look.

To Be Continued.         Don't forget to vote in the poll for who you think the killer is at:


	8. Part Seven : Lovers And Fighters

Disclaimer: Look! Look! *points gleefully* It's the official document saying that I own them all! Look, it's right there! That pig with wings has it in his mouth!

Warnings: A couple of weird ideas.

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Smoke & Mirrors.

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Part Seven. Lovers and Fighters.

Morgan was already sitting at the dining table when Draco made his way down, ready to start off on the unwelcome day. "You're up." Was the younger man's flat, cheerless greeting.

"Well I promised a noon rising so I'm only," he glanced to the window, trying to gauge the sunlight, "two, three hours late." He sat down, accepting the slightly cool coffee that was placed in front of him. "Did I miss anything?"

"I've been opening the week's mail." Morgan gestured to the pile of parchment to his left.

Draco glanced at it, his brain taking a few seconds to register that the top letter was addressed to him. He stopped taking his sip and slowly lowered the mug from his lips. "You opened my mail?"

Morgan ignored the quiet, accusing tone and shrugged. "I placed one of yours in my pile by accident. But after I read it … I felt the need look through the rest."

Draco pursed his lips. "Did you?"

"You got five." Morgan crossed his arms, the blank expression finally leaving in favour for a scowl. "And four of them are death threats."

The blonde resisted the inclination to sigh and instead went with casual indifference. "Only four? Huh, slow week."

"Slow week? That's all you can say? Don't you think you owe me some sort of an explanation?"

"Like what?"

"Like how long has this been going on?"

A small shrug as he thought about it. "Since the war was won. It started a couple of weeks after that."

"And you never told anyone?"

"Don't be foolish, Morgan, not this early in the day. Of course I told people. Severus, my father, Dumbledore, a couple of others."

"Okay then, fine, so you just never told me?"

"You didn't need to know."

"Oh that's bullshit and I can tell from your face that you know it." Morgan jumped to his feet and started to pace. "I mean … god, some of this stuff is just the regular, boring 'I'm going to kill you' or 'you're dead, arsehole' but there's some shit that is seriously messed up." He grabbed up one and started to read aloud. "I will pull each nail from your fingers, reveling in your cries of pain as I place each exposed cuticle in acid."

Despite the content, Draco smiled. "Ah, Green Pen."

Morgan stopped his pacing, his mouth hanging open for a second. "What did you say?"

"Green Pen. That certainly sounds like the usual style."

Morgan looked at the green writing in front of him. "You mean this guy or whatever writes to you so often you can tell that it's … whoever?"

A nod. "Green Pen has been writing to me since the beginning. One letter a week, like clockwork. In fact, if we had the mail delivered every day this would have arrived on Tuesday."

Morgan was starting to look dangerous. "I can't believe this! I mean, hell, I know I'm just a sidekick, but I thought I was your friend too. Why didn't you ever tell me about this?"

"Because you just would have started worrying about it."

"You're damn right I would have! These people are mental and they've got it in for you."

"Déjà vu, really."

"Well, I hope you both know that I'm going to remember this little concealment."

"Both." Draco looked around comically. "Only one of me here."

"You and Harry."

The blonde frowned. "Why him?"

Exasperated, Morgan sat back down. "For not telling me! What do you think we've been talking about?"

"Well he had a good reason to not tell you."

"He truly does hate me?"

Draco did sigh this time, leaning forward and resting his forearms on the table. "He didn't know."

If Morgan had been stunned to find out about the letters, he was absolutely flabbergasted to hear that Harry might not know. Until he scoffed. "Oh come on, you lived with him for an eternity. You honestly think he never found one of these letters?"

"They were automatically filtered out when I lived at the apartment. They used to be redirected to my parent's house. That's why I've always insisted on having our mail sent through the muggle way. Mail room people are easier to bribe than owls."

"But still …" He was cut off.

"You didn't need to know, Harry didn't need to know. In fact a lot of people have fallen under the 'Don't need to know' category about this minor issue. I said I'd look after you, not the other way around." Draco stood, smoothing down his robes. "While your concern is sweet, it's also unnecessary."

"These people have to be found!"

Draco sifted through the mail and retrieved the four letters. He counted them off as he dropped each one to the surface of the table, into three piles. "Death Eater, vampire, vampire, Green Pen."

"That one's the worst of the lot."

"Therefore, probably the most harmless." He pushed his fringe back and picked them up again, carrying them over to a cabinet and putting them away as Morgan looked on reproachfully. "How does that saying go? Out of sight …?"

"Won't work."

"Look, can we discuss this later, preferably not until we're both dead? We have to go into HQ, I need to have a word with Ginny about something." Draco headed for the fireplace, hearing his friend start to follow him.

"I'm not going to let this go."

"Then don't, just don't let it interfere with anything, we have work to do." He disarmed his own protection spells, threw the powder in and then sent the disarming spell for the grate at the other end.

They stepped out directly into the HQ room, the new renovations being completed therefore removing the need to walk through the ministry halls.

"And the man of the hour graces us with his presence." Was the snide remark from their right.

"Drop it, Thias." Draco pushed past the young man and headed for his desk.

"Glad you're here, actually, Hermione and Harry want to have a word with you."

"Just the one?"

Morgan snorted as Thias glared. Whatever the Trainee's reply was going to be was cut off as The Boss came out of his office and called a greeting to Draco. Well, it was a kind of greeting.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Morning, Boss." Draco smiled cheerfully and scribbled something down, clicking his tongue for one of the owls to come over. After handing it over, he watched it fly off before turning to look at his superior. "Having a good day?"

"I was until I saw you here. You're supposed to be spending as much time at home as possible. It's not safe for you to be wandering around, not without a guard."

"You fret too much."

"You have renegade Death Eaters and half of the undead out for your blood!"

"Don't be silly, I'm sure it's more than half."

"Draco." It was more of a growl than anything else.

"Just had to come in and see a couple of people. I'll be back home and safe in less than an hour with any luck."

"Just make sure that you are. Ah, Harry, Hermione, come here and make sure he doesn't go anywhere that he doesn't have to." The Boss leaned in, glaring forcefully. "I don't want you leaving this room until you have to Floo back to your home."

Draco smiled pleasantly and patted the older man on the arm. "Whatever you say, Boss."

"There's also a small matter of some questions you haven't answer yet." He nodded to Hermione. "Take care of it."

Morgan smiled uncomfortably as Hermione and Harry reached the group and came to a stop. He could have sworn it suddenly got physically colder as Harry and Draco exchanged civil nods. "I'll, er, just go check something at my own desk." He hated leaving Draco with them, but the tension that sometimes rose up always drove him crazy.

Draco kept his eyes on Morgan, not in the mood for anything they might have to ask him.

Hermione was not going to be put off so easily. "You still never told us the name of your last guest, the night of the party. The one that only you spoke to."

Draco said nothing, didn't even look their direction.

She huffed. "We already talked to the guy that goes by the name of Labyrinth. He wasn't very helpful."

Draco looked at her, trying to see if she was lying. "You spoke to him?"

"Yes."

"In person?"

"Well, no. He sent us a message through one of his lackeys. He said he didn't go."

"He didn't."

"Then who did?"

"You didn't, maybe you should have. Maybe you, with all your vast knowledge, could have spotted something that us mere mortals clearly missed."

"Don't use that bored tone with me, Malfoy." Her fake eye swiveled around, a clear sign that she wasn't in a good mood."

Draco ignored them again as he noticed Ginny walking through the main doors, looking nervous. He gave a wave and she hurried over.

"Hey." She hugged him awkwardly. "Sorry I couldn't make it, was on duty."

"Didn't miss much, funerals don't make the most lively gatherings."

She paid no heed to the tasteless joke. "My mum missed you at Christmas, I think she was really starting to warm to you."

"Yeah, well, I thought it might be best if I didn't go. Your brother and all. I told Harry to pass on my apologies." He looked at the man in question, for the first time today, scowling a little.

"He did, just wasn't the same. I, um, I don't think she blames you for it."

"She'd be in the minority then. Did you get it?"

Ginny nodded and cast a wary look to Hermione as she pulled a small package out of her pocket.

Draco took it and indicated to Morgan to come back, an order which was followed reluctantly. "Guard this with your life." Draco watched carefully as it was placed in Morgan's inside pocket, the younger man's hand remaining over it on the outside of his clothing.

"And what was that little thing?" Thias asked, glaring suspiciously.

"Nothing." Ginny may have said it a little too quickly because she received three frowns.

"Ginny." Hermione said in a warning tone. "What was that?"

"I don't know." The young woman said honestly. "And I don't want to." He gaze drifted back to Draco. "If they find out I did that …"

"They won't."

"They might."

"I'll take care of it." Draco raised his head slightly higher. "Well, it's been fun chatting to the old gang again, but I should get home before The Boss has a heart attack."

"I should probably have you arrested for whatever that is." It was clear that Hermione was trying to use her eye to identify what the package had been.

Draco silently wished her good luck, smiling a little. "Then do it, already."

She stared at Morgan's pocket in wonder, trying to figure out why it wasn't working. "That aside, The Boss has ordered us to find out who the last guest was."

"Then you'd better get to work, you're going to have a tough time investigating that."

"If you don't tell us, we have been authorized to detain you." Thias said, smiling unpleasantly.

"But I have to get home." Draco pointed out. "It's not safe for me to be wandering around, and all that rot." He was really starting to enjoy this.

"Why won't you just tell us?"

"Maybe it was his boyfriend?"

Everyone looked to Harry, it had been the first time he'd said anything since they'd all been standing there.

Draco titled his head, any sign of amusement gone. "He speaks."

"Nice of you to finally notice."

Everyone but Thias started to look even more uncomfortable as Draco and Harry frowned at each other evenly. Thias was looking just short of delighted.

"What do you mean by 'finally notice'?"

"Just that for the last week of you living at the apartment, you seemed to ignore me every time I tried to say something."

"You didn't try to say anything, you tried to scream things at me. It gets tiring after awhile."

"Well, I admit that I might have been a little on edge, but I was trying to decide with you were worth the effort."

Draco's voice dropped to an even colder level. "And you found that I wasn't?"

"Something like that. I've been doing some thinking the last couple of weeks. Before, I was just confused, but now I know what I'm doing."

"Care to enlighten the rest of us?"

"Everything was so confusing, but it's all sorted. I don't feel guilty, or miserable … I think I've finally just settled for furious."

Draco crossed his arms, keeping his voice even and ignoring how most of the office was falling silent, watching them both. "And what did I do to make you so upset this time? Bought the wrong type of coffee? Talked to some guy in the street a bit too long when he asked for the time?"

Harry snarled, causing Thias to move away slightly even if he was still grinning like an idiot. "I think you know what you did."

"Actually no, for once I'm at a loss to the cause of your little temper tantrum."

Harry's frown deepened even further. "You must really think I'm dumb. What? You never thought I'd find out? Never thought that I wouldn't hear it from somewhere?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Like I said, maybe the mystery guest was your boyfriend."

"And you think that I have one because … ?"

"Your little undead friend told me all about it."

This threw Draco off slightly, being totally unexpected. "What are you talking about?"

"You know, our old acquaintance from school who now hangs around with his corpse friends, he told me all about what you got up to during the war. At first I didn't believe him, but it just sounded so much like what you do, when  thought about it." Harry smiled, looking vicious. "had another little chat with him just a few days ago. Got it all sorted out. He told me it all."

"He told you what?" Part of him was starting to panic, though Draco couldn't work out why.

"He told me about how I wasn't the only one back when you were a spy. Tried to make sure you'd have someone to run to on each side? Covered all bases so that you'd be okay, no matter how the war ended? He told me about your other **companion.**"

Draco could see the jealousy and anger in Harry's eyes. He knew he was in trouble but tried to slip out of it anyway. "He told you what exactly?"

"Don't bother, Malfoy. I'm tired of all the shit you bring into my life. You won't get out of this one." Harry crossed his own arms, mimicking Draco's stance.

Draco found he had nothing to reply to that.

Thias looked like he was about to explode from the 'good news' patted Harry on the arm. "Are you saying that he was seeing someone else, a Death Eater, while he was with you?"

Harry nodded. "Exactly."

Draco regained his composure and forced his voice to not growl he defence out. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, I think I do." Harry gave a blatantly false smile.

"And," Morgan forced a cough to clear his throat. "Who was it?" He asked, looking at Draco in concern.

Harry's smile turn into am angry sneer. "Some arsehole called Jonas Cordain."

Fear sparked in Draco's eyes, but he blinked and then it was gone. He vaguely registered than Morgan's hand had landed on his shoulder and given it a squeeze.

To Be Continued.


	9. Part Eight : In The Heart

Disclaimer: Look! Look! *points gleefully* It's the official document saying that I own them all! Look, it's right there! That pig with wings has it in his mouth!

Warnings: Err, bad words, secrets, some remembered smut stuff, but not graphic (I know, I know, I'm so sorry.)

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Smoke & Mirrors.

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Part Eight. In The Heart.

They sat quietly at the table, Draco staring at the tabletop, Morgan staring at Draco. They had been sitting there, saying nothing, for about twenty minutes as they waited for Saria to turn up and begin her lessons for that night. Draco had said very little since his run in with Harry a few hours ago. He spent his quiet time with his head down, though he didn't actually **see** the table.

His mind drifted to long abandoned memories. Harsher time, miserable life, it all seemed the same, every year. Through his mind flittered images of skin opening up, allowing blood to trickle out, he remembered making a small cut under a woman's eye, watching how the tear and the blood raced each other to see which would reach her jaw first.

All things like this he thought he'd been done with forever. They hadn't really bothered him in years, except for a few brief moments a year ago, first when he had no memory of 'forgetting' them and then when he did remember, there had been a couple of thoughts about irony.

But hearing Harry say that name today, made it worse. To hear a voice he hated and loved and missed, to hear it say the two words he loathed more than anything. He hated himself for his fear, he knew it had shown, it probably always would. That was one thing Draco had always understood when it came to others and their fear of saying 'Voldemort'. He knew that hearing the name made you think of the person. Draco, even when he was fifteen, could have said Voldemort until he lost his voice and it wouldn't have bothered him.

But the name Jonas … he couldn't say it anymore, he could barely say it back then. There had been a Jonas in Morgan's training class, bright kid, talented, would have done well. But the second Harry had suggested they pick him, Draco had shot him down instantly, not even willing to consider it. Besides, he'd already had his heart set on Morgan, nothing would have changed his mind.

Draco knew it was foolish that he couldn't even bring himself to read that name. He knew it was probably very unhealthy that he had fallen into the habit of scanning all documents with a spell before he read them. He didn't like television, thinking that he might one day stumble upon a program that had an actor or character that was called that.

It's not that the name scared him, he wasn't a child anymore. But he knew he couldn't help himself. If he heard that name the memories would drift up and while that was easier enough to deal with, the true reason, the one he never would admit to was just too awful.

Despite his dislike of television, his slightly maniacal reading behavior, his pure fear and hatred of a silly name, all of those things were only by-products of the thing he feared the most.

That one day he would **want** to remember Jonas.

Draco wasn't sure if he could kick the addiction a second time. He didn't want to find out either. He just wanted things to go back to the way they were, it had been so much easier only a few months ago, even if he had noticed that things were not going as well as they should have. He wanted this safety net back. He sighed, shifting in his chair, as he thought about exactly how much he missed Harry. And not just for the protection.

Morgan thought about saying something, not necessarily about certain recent matters, just anything, but decided it probably wouldn't be a very wise idea. Saria, on the other hand, had clearly missed the warning signs seeing as how the first thing she said when she turned up that evening was…

"Who the hell is Jonas Cordain? What's going on? HQ was overflowing with excitement and mystery."

She received two identical glares, but ignored them.

"Draco, you have to tell me what's going on. I was interrogated by Allen, and he works in Accounting, for heavens sake! Everyone's saying you and Harry got into a fist fight or something. I heard one version where you put his head through a window!"

"I never touched him."

"Who's Jonas Cordain?"

"That's none of your concern."

"You think? Cause apparently anyone and everyone have been looking him up on the system, and it says he doesn't exist."

"He doesn't."

"Then why is Harry so sure that you're sleeping with him?"

"I don't know, the point is I'm not. Now you're supposed to be working on ..."

"Oh, to hell with that! I want to know what's happening?"

Draco walked out of the room. Saria went to go after him but her arm was grabbed by Morgan and she was thrown into the nearest chair.

"Hey, watch it!"

"Leave him alone."

"But everyone …"

"I don't care what everyone is doing, or saying, or thinking. Leave this alone."

Her eyes narrowed. "You know what's going on don't you?"

"No."

"Yes you do!"

"No, I only know a little."

"Tell me."

"No."

"Oh, come on, Morgan. You have to tell me."

"NO! I don't! I don't have to tell anyone anything. Draco told me to keep my mouth shut and I will."

"Look, though your obsessive crush is cute and endearing, if something's going on with him that might affect me, I have a right to know!"

"I don't have a crush on him."

"Oh, please, the way you follow him around? You're worse than Cujo at feeding time."

"I **don't** have a crush on him, you wouldn't understand."

"Are the children having fun?"

They both looked to Draco who had returned and was leaning on the doorframe.

"I'm not a child." Saria muttered.

"Could have fooled me, the way you just walk in here and demand answers to questions you shouldn't even know about." Draco pushed away from the frame and walked over, sitting down at the table. "Now listen up, sweetheart." He snarled. "I will not be answering any ridiculous questions about some guy who no-one can prove even existed. I do **not** have to answer to you, or anybody else for that matter and if, remember that I said **if,** a person called Jonas fucking Cordain has anything to do with my past, then that's my business, and mine alone."

She didn't dare say anything back.

"Now you, my dear girl, have training to do. So unless you want me to just fail you across the board, I suggest you get to work.

**********

"How's this?" Saria handed over what she had written so far and then shot a concerned look to Morgan when Draco didn't even look down to the page. "Draco?"

The blonde blinked once and then glanced down. "It's fine."

"You didn't even look ..."

_"... where you were going! What's the matter with you, Draco?"_

_Draco rubbed his forehead, glaring at the offending tree branch. "Sorry Pansy, just a little preoccupied."_

_"Well try not to be, we have to master this before tonight." Pansy picked up the dropped flask and returned it to Draco's hands. "The trick is to not look at it, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to see a lump of wood heading for your skull."_

_"Are the children having fun?"_

_They both looked to where the voice had come from and saw Jonas leaning against a tree. Draco gave a tentative smile as Pansy started to take a step back._

_"Um, I think I've done enough for now, I'm going to take a break."_

_Draco nodded absently as she fled._

_Jonas watched her leave, a smile playing on his lips. "I don't think she likes me."_

_Draco shrugged, trying to look calm. "Few people do, you should be used to it."_

_Jonas walked over, lifting his hand to brush across the pale face. "Do you fear me?"_

_"You know I do."_

_"And yet you try to hide it."_

_Draco could feel his heart pounding in his chest, the usual mixture of fear and fascination had started to flood his body as soon as he'd heard the low, almost dangerous voice. "No, I try not to be."_

_"Don't you think you should fear me?"_

_"Not as much as I do, no."_

_Jonas smiled, pulling the boy closer to hold him against his chest. "On the contrary, my little blonde protégé, you should fear me more than you already do. Don't you know what I am?"_

_"You're a killer."_

_"Can't you feel how dangerous I can be when I touch you?"_

_"I don't know, it's hard to concentrate when your around."_

_This earned Draco a laugh and Jonas titled the boy's head back, to look into his eyes, watching as the other shivered. "But still, maybe you shouldn't fear me. I only ever hurt you when you ask me to."_

_"I've never asked you to."_

_"Maybe not with words."__ Jonas leant down, pressing his lips to the slightly smaller ones._

_Draco wasn't too sure how it all happened, but the result was that his back was against the tree, sliding down until he was sitting of the soft soil. Jonas had not let go of his lips for even a second, simply manoeuvering them both until they landed in that position, Draco sitting on the ground his legs pushed out of the way with Jonas kneeling in front of him, having to stretch down to still kiss him._

_The elder man pulled back, leaving his hands to rub against Draco's chest as he watched him carefully, waiting for it._

_Draco kept his mouth shut, refusing to give in with this one little thing he had left._

_Jonas sighed as he moved to stand, his hands leaving the warm skin they had been playing with. "Why won't you beg for me, Draco?" He almost sounded annoyed._

_"Too much pride."__ It honestly was the only reason. Draco's pride stood fast and would not even consider giving up the last thing it had control of._

_"You should work on that. It gets rather irritating."_

_This actually cheered Draco up somewhat, though he certainly wasn't foolish enough to show it. "I'm sorry."_

_"Come see me tonight, after the ceremony, we still have work to do."_

_"But I have to report to Dumbledore."_

_Jonas scowled. "The old fool can wait. I shouldn't have to point out that anyone can wait when it comes to me. Don't kid yourself, Draco, as much as your **pride** must hate it, you belong to me."_

_Draco's right hand clenched into the ground, crushing a few leaves into his fist. He wanted to say 'No' and that he didn't belong to anyone, but he knew that wasn't really true. His left hand patted his pockets looking for his cigarettes as he refused to meet the other's gaze._

_As Jonas gave a sneer at his apparent weakness in answering Draco held one though close to him. There was a small thing that stopped him from completely being Jonas' property. One tiny secret he had that helped him see he wasn't as lost as most people thought._

_He lit his cigarette as Jonas Apparated out and smiled humourlessly at the ground in front of him. "I don't belong to you, not entirely." He finally muttered in reply._

"What the hell are you talking about? Draco! Can you even hear me?"

Draco opened his eyes to see Morgan and Saria leaning over him, he could feel their hands on him, trying to shake him out of it. He was lying on the floor next to his chair, as if he'd fallen out of it.

"Draco?"

"I'm okay." He moved to sit up but Morgan pushed him back down.

"No, you rest there, I'm calling for a doctor."

"No!" Draco pushed them both away and sat up, ignoring the half formed protests. "I'm fine."

"The hell you are! You just passed out on to the floor. That is not a 'fine' thing."

"I'm just tired." Draco rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. He shifted his right hand to help him stand up when he noticed he was clutching leaves in his fist. Stunned, he opened his palm and watched as they turned to dust, filtering through his fingers to land on the floor.

"That doesn't exactly look normal either." Was Morgan sarcastic comment.

"I'm fine, I just … I just got a little preoccupied."

"Either way, I'm still getting a doctor."

"Fine, do it." Draco said angrily. "And you can start packing you things at the same time."

"What? You're crazy, look, your sick or something, you need some help."

"I DON'T FUCKING WELL NEED A DOCTOR!" Draco snarled at both of them as they stared. "I just need some sleep." He forced out from between his teeth.

"You should …"

"You should fuck off and leave me alone."

Morgan went to say something again but Draco rounded on him.

"DON'T … make me say it again."

The force of the first word, followed by the rest of the sentence being said so softly cause Morgan to put down the phone he had reached for. "Fine. Get some sleep. We'll see how you are later."

Draco stormed out of the room, furious at everything though mainly at himself. He made his way to his bed and dropped down on it heavily. Cujo gave him a warily look before she fled, heading for the kitchen. He glared at his wall until he could start to feel himself calm down, shifting to lie down fully outstretched.

He sat up slightly again when he felt something press into his head. Running his hand through his hair he pulled away a small object and looked at. It was a piece of lose bark. It too turned to dust as he looked at it, landing on his pillow. He wiped it all off on to the floor and lay back down.

He closed his eyes and wished for it all to stop.

To Be Continued.


	10. Part Nine : Nowhere To Hide

Disclaimer: Look! Look! points gleefully It's the official document saying that I own them all! Look, it's right there! That pig with wings has it in his mouth!

Warnings: More Jonas …

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Smoke & Mirrors.

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Part Nine. Nowhere To Hide.

_"Don't forget to wash them carefully."_

_"No, Jonas."_

_"Tools are no good if they are ruined."_

_"No, Jonas."_

_"Are you even hearing my words?"_

_"Yes, Jonas." Draco jumped when he felt fingers close around the tops of his arms._

_"You don't seem to be paying attention."_

_Draco smiled nervously as he felt warm breath on the back of his neck. "I am, just thinking as well."_

_"About what?"___

_He shrugged as much as he could with the hands on his arms. "Just stuff."_

_"Do you ever think about me?"_

_"Sometimes."___

_"When?__ When you lie awake at night?"_

_"Sometimes."__ Draco titled his head to the side as Jonas rested his chin on his shoulder._

_"Do you touch yourself when you think about me?"_

_"Sometimes."__ It was barely a whisper._

_"And what do you think about when you aren't thinking about me?"_

_"Lots of things."___

_"Like?"___

_"The war, my parents, Severus, Dumbledore, Pansy."__ He left one name unsaid._

_"Do you think of Voldemort?"_

_"Not very often."___

_"What do you think will happen with the war?"_

_"Voldemort will lose."_

_"You can't know that."_

_"He doesn't have a very good track record."_

_"That doesn't mean he will fail this time. Things change."_

_"His so called army is disorganised and spends too much time bickering amongst each other. He has no true skill for leadership, he fritters away valuable opportunities simply because he wants something else at the time, he is arrogant even though it has cost him in the past, he rarely listens to advice, he won't see reason, and he wastes most of his time devising ridiculous ways in which to kill a seventeen year old boy." Draco took a breath. "Oh, and he's dog ugly."_

_Jonas chuckled. "And his looks matter?"_

_"How can you respect or fear someone when the first instinct is too laugh in his face?"_

_"He **is** powerful."_

_"He abuses his power, his position and his former status. A status he has not lived up to this time around."_

_"You think you could do a better job?"_

_"If I had half his knowledge or influence I could have won this war already. Instead he seems intent on all out attacks without enough strategy or squandering prospects by focusing on cute little gadgets he **may** be able to get his hands on."_

_"You're so pretty when you get frustrated at other people."_

_"I don't want him to win, but honestly, the man's useless. It's insulting to think he was in Slytherin. Where is this infamous 'cunning' everyone always says he has?"_

_"Perhaps he's doing things that you don't know about?"_

_"I doubt it. I know every other spy in this damn war, no matter which side they're on. From all accounts, Voldemort's barely holding on to his own sanity, let alone being capable of organising the tactics needed to win this war."_

_"The other spies tell you things?"_

_"Yes, they're all very fond of me, even the ones that aren't a relation."_

_"It's because you look so breakable. It's a real gift you have, darling."_

_Draco shifted uncomfortably. "Don't call me that."_

_"You look so trustworthy. And fragile, as if we could snap you." Jonas tightened his fingers, smiling as Draco squirmed some more. "People look at you and think you can be relied upon. It makes me quite jealous, really."_

_"It does?" Draco's hand wandered down to adjust his trousers as his erection strained against it. He just wanted Jonas to let him go and take a few steps back._

_"People can feel that I'm not to be trusted. No one would dare turn their back on me. No one but you, anyhow."_

_"You wouldn't kill me."_

_"You sound so sure?"_

_"You want me."_

_"Yes, I do. I've never tried to conceal that. Not even in front of your parents. What do they think of me?"_

_"They hate the way you look at me."_

_"Do they hate the way I touch you?"_

_"I …I've never told them."_

_"Ashamed of me, Draco?"__ The tone was a warning of sorts._

_"None of their business."___

_"And do you tell your dear, precious Severus? Or Dumbledore, perhaps?"_

_"They know some things."_

_"Like?"___

_"They know what you are. I have to put it in my reports."_

_"What do you say about me?"_

_"The truth.__ I didn't think you'd mind much."_

_"You're right, I don't. They can think what they like." Jonas placed a gentle kiss on Draco's neck. "What do you think of me?"_

_"I think you're beautiful."_

_"Is that all?" Another kiss, to the other side of Draco's neck._

_"Vain, arrogant … dangerous."__ Draco shuddered as Jonas' left hand moved to undo one of the buttons of his shirt. He stood a little straighter when the hand slipped inside to rest on his stomach._

_"Arrogant?"_

_"You're going to deny it?"_

_"Perhaps not."__ Jonas nudged Draco's shirt to the side with his face, placing a sucking bite to the pale skin on the blonde's shoulder._

_"Stop that. It'll leave a mark." He felt his hand twitch and forced it to remain still._

_"So?"_

_Draco's mind raced along, trying to think of a good reason to get out of his grasp. "People might get suspicious."_

_"And who will see it there?"_

_Draco closed his eyes, knowing he had walked right into that one. "No one."_

_"Then it doesn't matter." Jonas straightened up, regarding the blonde's tense posture. "Or maybe you're lying to me."_

_Draco's heart really sped along at this. He didn't like where the conversation was going. "Why would I lie?"_

_"Excellent question."__ Jonas removed his hand from under Draco's shirt and put it back on the boy's arm, squeezing very tightly this time._

_"Jonas, stop it. That hurts."_

_"You like pain, my little, blonde protégé." He squeezed harder._

_"Stop it!" Draco tried to wrench himself away but was not the strongest of the two._

_"Who would see it if I left a mark?"_

_"No one."__ Draco spat the lie out this time._

_"Then why even say it?"_

_"I don't know. I just don't want you touching me."_

_"That's not true, we both know it."_

_"I won't beg you, I won't ever."_

_"I know, I know, your damnable pride." Jonas pushed Draco, overbalancing and watched him fall to the floor._

_Draco hated himself for it, but cringed anyway when the man took a step towards him._

_Jonas reached down, grabbing him by his hair and sharply pulling it back, forcing Draco tilt his head backwards. "I hope you're not lying to me, Draco, I truly do. It would be such a waste to lose something as pretty as you."_

_"I'm not. I wish you'd learn to control your temper."_

_"Don't," he accentuated it with tugging harder on the blonde hair, "tell me what to do. It works the **other** way in this little relationship of ours. I tell you what to do, and you follow my orders. Remember?"_

_Draco didn't answer and received a sudden slap across his face._

_"Remember?"_

_"Yes … yes, Jonas."_

_"Is there something you should be telling me? Something that perhaps involves a certain raven-haired boy you talk so much about?"_

_"No. And I only talk about him because you keep asking. I don't have anything to tell you about him."_

_Jonas' eyes narrowed and the hand holding Draco's head flicked back and released, allowing the boy to crack the back of his head on the stone floor. "You're lying to me Draco, I can feel it."_

_Draco lay gasping on the floor, unable to move as his vision blurred from the pain._

_"I think perhaps it's time you had a little try of the TORCH."_

_"No, Jonas, please, I swear to you, I'm not lying. There's nothing going on between me and Harry. I don't know why you keep thinking there is."_

_"You swear it?"_

_"I swear it."_

_"On what?"___

_"Tell me what to swear it on."_

_"Swear it on **his** life."_

_"I swear on his life, on Harry Potter's life, there's nothing going on." Draco moved to sit up, meaning to reach for Jonas' leg and really play the submissive. He let out a choked sob and arched his back as a dragon skin boot slammed into his spine._

_"I didn't tell you to grovel at me."_

_"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."_

_"Qevjivod tmav."__ The man muttered under his breath. He knelt down and lifted Draco's head to look him in the eye. "One day, I just won't bother waiting for you to beg me, waiting for you to give in to the inevitable. I'll get tired of this little game, tired of you. Your pretty face won't save you forever." He let the head drop back down and looked to the doorway. "Lie there and don't move."_

_When Jonas left the room, Draco did as he was told, mostly. He lay there, but had to move his hand to readjust his trousers. A small tear, caused by the agony in his skull, slid out even though he clenched his eyes tightly._

_"Hello Laurie."_

_He heard Jonas' voice greet someone in the other room, but couldn't hear anymore of the murmurs. His brain absently told him he should be investigating the people Jonas talked to, but he hurt too much right now. He just wished the pain would ease his erection, instead of worsening it. He really hated how Jonas could do that to him._

_A few more minutes of lying on the cold stone and then he jumped when warm hands gently pulled him to his feet, cradling him to a chest covered by a sweet smelling white shirt. "Gushowi no."_

_"I'm okay." He answered back weakly._

_"I know I have a temper, Draco. I sometimes don't mean the things I do to you."_

_"I know."_

_"Is your head okay?"_

_"Hurts, and my visions stuffed. Every thing is warped." Draco didn't flinch away when warm lips brushed his forehead._

_"I'll get you a potion for that later."_

_"Thank you."_

_"What about your back? Can you walk?"_

_"I can barely breath. Walking is not really an issue right now." Draco forced some humour into his voice, rewarded by a gentle caress on his shoulders._

_"Would you like me to kiss it better?"_

_Part of him really wanted that, but it was pushed aside. "I just need to sit, before I fall."_

_Jonas picked him up off the ground completely and carried him over to the nearest chair. Settling down, he placed Draco in his lap and just held him there._

_Draco rested his head on Jonas' chest, listening to the steady heartbeat, feeling comforted by it.__ But he didn't let himself relax too much. This was when he was a true danger to himself, when he let Jonas' sweet side gain some ground. A gentle hand started to brush over his spine, trying to ease the pain from where he had been kicked._

_"You think Voldemort will lose?"_

_Draco was sure he had a mild concussion at least, as he had to fight to remember what they had been talking about. "Yes."_

_"And what of us?__ You're covered, Draco, being a spy for Dumbledore. But me, well, I doubt I'd receive any medals for what I do."_

_"It does look unlikely." He closed his eyes, if only to stop the room from swaying._

_"What about me, Draco? What would I do, where would I go? Sometimes I can't bear the thought of being away from you."_

_"Really?"___

_"Of course.__ You've always been special. Everyone can see it."_

_Draco tightened his hold on the warm body. "I'm sure you'd find somewhere. You had places to go before the war."_

_"Hmm, I suppose. But away from you?"_

_"What else is there?"_

_"You could hide me, keep me safe."_

_"It's possible, I suppose. The Ministry have been deceived before."_

_"You would do that for me, wouldn't you? You would keep me safe?"_

_Draco raised his head and felt with his fingers for Jonas' lips. He placed a gentle kiss on them once he was confident enough to lean forward without overbalancing. "Of course. I need you, Jonas. I'd keep you safe."_

_Jonas kissed him back. "Of course you would." He moved his lips to sit right next to Draco's left ear. "N'jiesv ot 'uast."_

Draco forced his eyes open and looked around. His bedroom at his country house. His breathing slightly erratic, he audibly cursed himself when he realised he was still hard from the dream. 'Not a dream, memory', was how he corrected it in his head. He sat up and then groaned, one hand coming to clutch at his head, the other trying to reach his spine. He could think of only one thing that would have done this.

He staggered to his wardrobe, picking up a hand held mirror from his dresser and moved to stand in front of his full length mirror, his back to it. Angling the other mirror to see the reflection of his back, he saw the three inch wide bruise that was still forming. He didn't actually have to look harder to know that if he did, he would be able to distinguish the tread of the shoe that had kicked him.

Suddenly angry, he walked unsteadily back to his bed and searched it for the pendant. Finding it, he threw it across the room, spitting a variety of insults after it. He carefully lowered himself back on to the bed and sighed, wishing for the sudden death of the thumping pain that was loitering behind his eyes.

He didn't even really care when his hand moved back to his groin, meaning to take care of the one problem he could fix without a healer or a very strong potion.

To Be Continued.


End file.
